


Stranger Than Fiction - No More Than A Machine

by Wguy



Series: Stranger Than Fiction [3]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Original Character(s), Post-Canon, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-11-08 07:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17977148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wguy/pseuds/Wguy
Summary: The four members of the Literature Club have started a new life for themselves in the quiet town of Milford, Connecticut. Though their personal troubles are far from over, the quartet finally have a chance to create the perfect life for themselves in this bizarre reality.However, the arrival of a new threat will prove that danger has a way of finding you no matter how hard you may try to hide from it. Relationships will be tested, secrets will be revealed, and lines will be crossed before this new American nightmare will come to an end!Welcome to Milford. Hope you enjoy your stay, because it won't be a long one.





	1. The More Things Change

            A warm ray of sunlight fell upon Sayori’s eyes, beaming through her apartment window. It softly kissed her visage, asking the coral-haired girl to wake up and begin her morning. It’s a bright and beautiful day, it almost said, and wouldn’t she love to be a part of it?

            Sayori responded by grunting softly before turning herself over in her sleeping bag, moving her face away from the harsh reminder she shouldn’t still be in bed. Though it wasn’t that early in the morning, the apartment’s occupants were far ahead of her in their daily preparations.

            Natsuki had gotten up first, as her shift at the grocery store started nearly at the crack of dawn. Not long after her was Yuri, who quickly left to do… whatever is she does each day. The gothic woman always claimed she was going out to ask about possible job opportunities, but she usually came back with an armful of new books instead.

            Monika was the only other person still in the apartment, currently taking a quick shower before heading out for today’s series of interviews. Soon she would be gone too, leaving Sayori alone.

            Even though she wanted to get up, to do her part ensuring their new lives worked out, she just couldn’t. Her sorrowful mind refused to grant her the motivation she needed.

            It doesn’t matter how bright the sun may shine when rainclouds still deprive you of its warmth.

            Monika then burst forth from the bathroom, fully clothed in her interview attire. Her hair was still slightly damp, and she was just finishing tying it up in her signature white bow.

            “Alright Sayori, I’m heading out!” The emerald-eyed girl stated as she sped right past her friend on the floor. “Have a good day and I’ll see you to–”

            The hurried woman stopped just before the exit, her hand hovering over the brass doorknob. Monika turned her head and actually registered this time that her leader was still in bed.

            Sayori quickly shut her eyes and pretended to still be asleep. Unconvinced, though unable to resist smirking at Sayori’s mischievous attempt, the taller girl slowly approached her friend and crouched down beside her.

            “I know it’s pretty normal for unemployed teenagers to still asleep at 9:00 in the morning, but I’m fairly certain that’s not what’s happening here,” Monika said almost coyly as the coral-haired girl opened her eyes again, aware she’d been busted. Sayori tried to smile, but she could only manage a small one that still betrayed her sadness. “How long have you been awake?”

            “…Few hours. I’m… really comfy,” the shorter girl claimed, though she could tell her roomie wasn’t buying it. “B-but you don’t have to worry or anything, I’m fine! See!”

            Sayori’s left hand emerged from her sleeping bag and pointed towards her visage, where she was now sporting a bigger, open-mouthed smile. It was definitely a contender for the most adorable face in the world. It might have been convincing too, if Monika hadn’t known she tried the exact same lie on Edward back in the game.

            The emerald-eyed girl was smiling too, but it wasn’t the same smirk she had a moment ago. It was an understanding expression, one that said: “I can tell what’s really the matter, but I get why you’re not telling me what it is.”

            Monika knew Sayori didn’t want her to worry, especially with all the other troubles they had on their plate. Her friend’s selflessness warmed the brown-haired girl’s heart, even if it was also saddened by the fact that she was struggling right now.

            Still, remembering the dynamic the depressed girl once had with Edward gave the former club president an idea.

            “Hey, Sayori? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or force you to do anything you’re not feeling up to… but do you want me to help you? The way Edward used to?” The coral-haired girl’s fake smile was swiftly replaced by a confused expression. Monika was just glad she at least had her attention. “If you can get out of bed and take a shower, I’ll make you breakfast!”

            “…That does sound pretty good,” Sayori eventually replied. She didn’t have much of an appetite, but breakfast was still her favorite meal and – therefore – extremely tempting. “…B-but aren’t you in a hurry? I don’t want you to miss your interview!”

            “I mean, I’ll probably have to bail before you get out of the bathroom,” Monika confessed as she made her way towards the kitchen anyways. “But I always try to leave a little early for these things, so it’s not like I need to rush.”

            Seeing that her friend was already starting to cook for her, the blue-eyed girl eventually found the strength to wiggle her way out of the sleeping bag. The brown-haired woman had just finished placing two slices of bread in the toaster by the time Sayori had fully left her makeshift bed.

            “...Uh, Monika?” The coral-haired girl softly called out, drawing the taller girl’s attention away from the inside of the refrigerator. “I’m… I’m sorry that you need to do this f-for me. A-and I’m sorry that I haven’t really been any help with our money problem–”

            “Sayori, first off, you never have to apologize to me for anything. I _literally_ pushed you to kill yourself, so this is _literally_ the least I can do to make up for it,” Monika swiftly promised, quick to interrupt the self-deprecating apology, as she retrieved a small glass jar of grape jelly from the fridge. “Second, we all understand that you’ll have days like this and none of us are ever going to hold that against you. We have plenty of time to get our financial situation figured out; taking care of each other will always be the priority.”

             The blue-eyed girl couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s kind words. It wasn’t exactly a happy smile, but it was still an authentically grateful one. Her confidence renewed, Sayori finally rose off the floor and rolled her sleeping bag back up.

            The coral-haired girl placed her mobile bed in its usual spot inside the closet, where she then retrieved a large suitcase. Lacking a dresser, this piece of luggage currently housed most of their clothing.

            “Speaking of prioritizing mental health…” Monika added as she then grabbed a jug of orange juice from the still-open fridge, pouring its contents into a tall cup. “What day is Ace coming by again?”

            “Oh, tomorrow morning,” Sayori stated, unzipping the suitcase and grabbing a new outfit. She then closed the container back up and placed it back in the closet. Though her depression often made it hard for the coral-haired girl to be tidy, knowing she was sharing this space with other people was a good motivator to keep it neat. “Are you and the other girls still okay talking to her too?”

            “Hey, we all promised we would. Plus, it’ll be Saturday so it’s not like we’ll be busy or anything,” the emerald-eyed girl explained while putting the finishing touches on her friend’s meal. “Okay, I’ll need to head out in a minute. I only ask that, whatever you decide to do today, you don’t spend your _entire_ Friday looking up fanart of us again.”

            “Heh, I thought the rule was that you _shouldn’t_ make promises when you know you won’t keep them!” The coral-haired woman replied, causing both girls to laugh. It was a much-needed source of joy, and it assuaged any immediate concerns Monika had about her friend’s wellbeing.

            Sayori continued to giggle even after she entered the bathroom, though her mirth quickly faded away. As she placed her clothing on top of the toilet lid, the young woman then heard the click of the front door opening and the sound of it swiftly slamming shut.

            The coral-haired girl let out a weary sigh. Monika meant well, and it’s not like Sayori didn’t appreciate the aid. Yet all the kind gestures in the world couldn’t erase the feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and fear weighing down her mind.

            In fact, considering who was trying to help her, it only made things worse.

            “Don’t you do it…” Sayori mumbled to herself, as her own pitiful reflection in the mirror gazed back at her. “Don’t you get our heart broken again…”

* * *

             After spending roughly fifty hours in the Milford Public Library over the past two weeks, Yuri has finished reading about two percent of its contents. She was rather pleased with her progress thus far.

            The gothic woman’s new favorite locale wasn’t particularly special. The carpeting was a dreary gray, the bookshelves were a dull green, and the ceiling was a dingy white. The wooden furniture was that specific style that all publicly funded buildings seem to have, while the overhead fluorescent lights buzzed in a way that reminded Yuri of Darwin’s bunker. There was an upper floor, likely just as banal, but the purple-haired girl hadn’t made her way up there to confirm.

            Yet none of that mattered, for there were books here, which was all she needed.

            Yuri rolled a particularly hefty tome between her hands, like an archeologist studying an important artifact. She looked at the back cover, read the informative blurb on the interior sleeve, and even breezed through the first few pages; each element influencing whether or not she would take this book home with her tonight.

            Still, even though this process took much of her focus, Yuri made sure to check the clock every now and then. The library closed at five on Fridays, affording her only a limited time frame to browse. After all, the gothic woman told herself, if the sun was already setting then she certainly shouldn’t stay for much–

            Yuri paused, before turning her gaze to the large wall of windows beside her. The sky was indeed colored with the orange hue of fading daylight, meaning the sun had just begun its descent. The purple-eyed girl quickly checked her phone, which read the time as 4:53.

            A frustrated and disappointed sigh slipped past Yuri’s lips. She’d been at the library almost all day. She’d forgotten to get lunch and, more importantly, to look for work. Again.

            “…Just so you’re aware miss, the library’s closing soon,” a stern, yet still kindly voice suddenly stated from behind Yuri, startling the purple-haired girl and almost causing her to drop her book.

            This voice came from the librarian, Hanna. She was an older woman; her white hair, wrinkled skin, and the fact that she would be taller than Yuri if not for her hunched back were all proof of her advanced age. Even her green sweater and gray skirt appeared to be from another era. However, her attitude never seemed to fit the body she had.

            Hanna was the kind of person who knew she was getting old but refused to act as if this were the case. She almost always had a mischievous smirk on her face, regardless of the situation. This was something Yuri learned after speaking with her a few times, and the expression’s many meanings continued to confuse her.

            “A-ah y-yes! I’m afraid the t-time got away from me,” Yuri stuttered as she swiftly faced the librarian, unable to tell from the white-haired woman’s face if she was annoyed or amused.

            “Heh, I noticed. Certainly not the first time either,” Hanna wryly replied as she adjusted the oversized glasses adorning her visage. “I hope you don’t mind my saying so miss, but I’ve seen you here almost every single day we’re open. Not that I’m upset to see a young person taking an interested in literature, but you must not be a student if you have so much free time on your hands. I’m guessing you’re also new in town, given that you’ve only been visiting us for the past two weeks.”

            “Those are… both very astute deductions, ma’am,” the gothic woman muttered, slightly embarrassed by how strange her behavior must look to an outside observer.

            “More of a side effect of a very dull job, I assure you,” the older lady replied as she began hobbling towards the front desk, signaling the purple-haired girl to follower her. “I’ve been where you are now, miss. New town, new surroundings, new people… it can all be quite intimidating. Especially so if you don’t have anyone to talk to–”

            “A-ah, not to interrupt you, but I actually do have friends here!” Yuri quickly objected, even though she could more than understand how her conversation partner came to that conclusion. “They’re just all working right now. Or, at least, looking for work… something I’m supposed to be doing too.”

            “Heh, is that so? Well, you’ll have to forgive my assuming. A terrible habit one picks up with age, I’m afraid,” Hanna explained as she finally made it to her chair behind the counter. The white-haired woman let out a weary and relieved sigh once she finally sat down. “If you’ll indulge a curious old woman a little further, could I ask why you’re here each day if you’re trying to find employment? A classic case of teenage procrastination?”

            “I suppose that’s one way to put it. Plus, our group’s situation is rather… unique, which makes applying for anything somewhat difficult.” The gothic woman admitted as she ran her fingers through her hair. Yuri was hesitant to give away too much information, afraid she might have to explain why the quartet didn’t have any schooling or previous work experiences on their non-existent resumes. “It doesn’t help that going from one business to another asking for work is rather embarrassing. Why risk an uncomfortable conversation when I can instead spend my days reading b–”

            The purple-eyed girl abruptly paused, as a crimson blush overtook her visage. For a brief moment, Yuri had forgotten she wasn’t talking to one of her friends and revealed a little more to the relative stranger than she intended.

            “I– I’m terribly sorry! It seems I’ve overshared a little bit…” The mortified young lady said, her eyes disappearing behind her bangs out of shame. “I didn’t mean to bother you with my troubles.”

            “Heh, don’t worry about it. Hell, I asked, didn’t I?” The older woman said, chuckling slightly. Once her mirth died down, Hanna began stroking her chin with her right hand as her eyes squinted in contemplation. “Hmm… well, you certainly seem like a good candidate. You obviously care about books, and you haven’t turned one in late yet…”

            “…I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” Yuri confessed, her brow furrowed in confusion.

            “Look kid, to tell you the truth, this place is a lot for one old woman to handle. I could use an assistant,” the white-haired woman explained, causing the gothic girl’s eyes to light up with excitement. “If you’re going to be here all day anyways, you might as well get paid for it. Granted, you won’t be able to spend the whole time reading, but–”

            “Yes! Absolutely yes!” Yuri exclaimed, her visage turning crimson once again when she realized how much she overreacted. “I– I mean, t-that sounds like a wonderful opportunity.”

            “Heh, I figured you’d say so. Why don’t you come by tomorrow afternoon for an interview? Say… 2:00?” Hanna offered, to which Yuri enthusiastically nodded her head in agreement. “Splendid! The building will be closed to the public, but I’ll be here to let you in.”

            The purple-haired girl felt like she was going to burst with excitement, and it took every ounce of restraint she had not to let out an excited shriek. Her joy must have been obvious to the older woman, given the smirk adorning her visage. Of course, it could’ve been a mischievous smile in anticipation of what she’d say next, which sent the eager-to-please Yuri almost tumbling out the front door.

            “Anyways, now get the hell out! The library closed five minutes ago!” 

* * *

 

            Natsuki’s entire face winced as a single child’s wailing echoed throughout her place of work. The mother and son were exiting the grocery store, the latter upset that his parent didn’t buy the right brand of sugary cereal.

            The Shop & Stop is about as generic a supermarket can be. Image any two grocery stores you’ve been to – both from different chains, but that are still very similar – and then fuse them together. That’s how nondescript it is.

            Row after row of consumer products take up the majority of the space, leaving little allotments for frozen goods or carefully arraigned bouquets. The only unique distinction in this store was the checkout counters, which were a stark white. Each one had plastic pane along the sides, forcing the customers to put their groceries at the beginning of the conveyor belt.

            Natsuki was grateful for this feature, as one of the workers in charge of bagging products, since it prevented crowding and kept everyone as far away from her as possible. She felt bad for her friend behind the register, however, who had to endure the full force of that screaming child while the mother paid for her items.

            “If I ever even hint at wanting kids someday, I need you to run me over with your car,” the pink-haired girl said to her coworker as the automatic doors closed behind the last two customers, allowing the music emanating from the overhead speakers to reclaim its title as the most obnoxious thing in the store. She hadn’t noticed the hooded figure ducking out of the store with a plastic bag full goods he hadn’t paid for, though she probably wouldn’t have cared even if she did.

            “Eh, my car’s an old piece of shit. You’d probably survive it,” the black-haired girl – Sable – replied, as she let out an annoyed sigh.

            Natsuki’s coworker wore the same red and black uniform as the pink-eyed girl, though this is where the similarities ended. She was the tallest woman the petite young lady had ever seen, she had at least two feet over her workmate. She was also older than the pink-haired girl, though only by a few years.

            Sable’s face was dotted with several piercings, from the small cluster of metal studs around her lips to the multitude of rings hanging off her ears. She always wore the expression of a kid who wanted to rebel, successfully did so, and was now bored without anything to fight.

            None of this was what made Sable unique though; at least, not to Natsuki. No, she was special because, as far as the pink-haired girl knew, she was the only person in this entire town who actually knew what Doki Doki Literature Club was.

            Worse, she was a fan.

            “Besides, ‘Natsuki,’ I can’t kill you. I’m pretty sure that’s a certain brown-haired girl’s schtick.” Sable added, her visage now featuring a grin that could only be described as “shit-eating.”

            “Ugh, would you quit it with that?” The pink-haired girl grumbled while rolling her eyes. Natsuki knew her friend was just messing with her, but she still had to sell it. “I told you, my name’s just coincidence. I haven’t even played that stupid game.”

            “Right… your pink hair then?” Sable retorted as she reclined against the conveyor belt.

            “Favorite color,” the petite girl quickly replied, sensing a pattern coming on.

            “The red ribbons?”

            “S-second favorite color.”

            “The pink contacts?”

            “I… I have a rare medical condition!”

            “Your minuscule stature?”

            “I’m not _that_ short!” Natsuki huffed, while Sable did her best not to howl with laughter.

            Though she was definitely annoyed by her coworker’s near-constant teasing, at least the black-haired woman wasn’t as close to the truth as she could’ve been. Besides, though she wouldn’t admit it, the pink-eyed girl did enjoy having someone new to talk to; someone who wasn’t aware of everything she’s been through.

            As far as Sable knew, Natsuki was just a (relatively) normal girl. Getting to pretend that was true, even for a little while, was nice.

            “Look, I’ve worked at a bunch of places where I usually wore a nametag. And we don’t know where the guy who made this game lives, right? For all we know, maybe he ran into me at some point and based ‘Natsuki’ on my appearance. I can hardly blame him, I’m kinda awesome,” the petite girl replied with her signature grin, unable to help stroking her own ego a little bit. “In fact, I bet she’s the best character in the whole game!”

            “Meh, she was barely focused on,” Sable replied with a shrug. “Besides, as is probably apparent considering my entire aesthetic, I always liked Yuri better.”

            “Heh, well, I can’t fault you for having good taste,” the pink-eyed girl added, though she was quickly confused by the return of her friend’s mischievous grin.

            “Fufufu, but Natsuki, I thought you said you haven’t played the game before,” the black-haired girl stated as she pointed accusingly, and dramatically, towards her coworker. “How could you possibly know what she’s like if you’ve never seen her before?!”

            “Y-you do know the internet’s a thing, right? Maybe I looked the game up once, since you’re always going on about it… also, did you seriously just say ‘fufufu’ out loud?” Natsuki replied, more defensively than she likely intended, as Sable resumed snickering. “God, you’re almost as annoying as that kid was.”

            “Ugh, tell me about it,” the taller woman groaned, ignoring the insult. “Exhibit A of why I’ll never procreate. Hell, probably why I won’t get married either. Can’t risk my future partner convincing me otherwise.”

            “Wait, seriously?” The petite girl asked, genuinely surprised by her friend’s declaration.

            “Super seriously. Are you?” Sable’s question caught Natsuki off-guard, causing her to briefly become lost in her own thoughts. “…Nat?”

            The quartet had been so focused on finding work, just so they could afford to live in their new home, that none of them had really thought about what would come next. Now that she was no longer facing danger almost every single day, Natsuki had to face the fact that she still had her whole life before her.

            Did she want to stay in Milford? Would the four of them keep living in the same building? Would she and Yuri spend the rest of their lives together?

            These were all questions Natsuki asked herself, all while trying to formulate a response to her coworker’s query.

            “…Yeah. At least, I think so. Not soon, and not here,” the pink-eyed girl eventually responded. “I think I’d go stir-crazy if I actually tried to settle down in this town.”

            “Same. Can’t wait until I finally leave,” the black-haired girl said, before stretching her arms and letting out an exhausted sigh. “Alright, imma hit the restroom before we close. You good holding down the fort by yourself?”

            “Heh, I think I’ll manage,” Natsuki replied with a smirk as Sable walked off.

            Once her friend was out of sight, the petite girl’s uncertain expression returned. Sure, she was still young, she didn’t need to be worrying so much about the future. Yet it’s hard to keep an anxious mind quiet, especially when its thoughts would only bring uncomfortable conversations with those she cares for.

            “Um, excuse me, ma’am? We’ve been waiting in line for a while now…” The unexpected statement of a customer caught Natsuki’s attention, making her realize she’d been blankly staring at the cash register for the past minute.

            “O-oh shi– er, shoot! Sorry about that! I wasn’t–” the pink-haired girl began, before she understood why that voice had sounded so familiar. “M-Monika! What are you doing here?!”

            “Yup, it’s me! And I’m not alone!” the former president of the Literature Club cheerfully stated as Sayori and Yuri popped out from behind a nearby candy shelf. “As for your question; your girlfriend called our leader and I so we could surprise you in person with some amazing news! Yuri, would you like to take it from here?”

            “Oh darling, I had the most wonderful day!” The gothic woman said as she stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with excitement. “The end result of which is… I’ve got a job interview tomorrow!”

            “W-what?! Yuri, that’s fantastic!” Natsuki exclaimed as she dashed around the counter and almost leaped into her paramour’s arms. Unable to contain her excitement, the shorter girl planted a kiss on her girlfriend’s lips, which the taller one happily reciprocated. Sayori and Monika awkwardly cleared their throats and looked away, allowing the lovebirds their moment.

            “Holy shit! We’ve got to celebrate!” The petite girl exclaimed as she broke away from the embrace. Monika enthusiastically nodded her head in agreement, as Sayori’s eyes lit up with anticipation over all the good food Natsuki was bound to whip up. Yuri simply smiled, grateful that her ideal career prospect could make the one she adored most so happy.

            Granted, all this excitement didn’t hide the uncertain future still waiting for them on the horizon. Fortunately for the pink-haired girl, her loved ones always made a habit of unintentionally taking her mind off her troubles, even if only for a little while.

            However, Natsuki’s mirth was quickly dashed by the appearance of her only other friend in this quiet little town.

            Sable, having just left the restroom, now stood before the quartet with a look of utter confusion upon her visage. The petite girl’s friends stared back, uncertain what was causing this reaction. Natsuki, however, knew exactly what the problem was.

            The worst part? She’d told her friends about Sable, but she hadn’t told them _everything_ about her.

            “Um… Y-you must be Sable! Natsuki’s mentioned she’s grown rather close with a coworker, which – based on her description – I’m presuming is you… M-my name’s Yuri, and this is Monika and Sayori,” The gothic woman said while pointing to the former and current presidents of their defunct club, trying to defuse the awkwardness. “As her girlfriend, I greatly appreciate you looking out for her!”

            The black-haired girl’s expression displayed even more shocked than before, as her eyes rapidly switched between staring at Natsuki and her paramour. A hushed, almost joyful statement slipped past her lips, much to Monika, Sayori, and Yuri’s befuddlement.

            “It’s just like in my fanfic...”

* * *

             “It wasn’t _that_ funny,” Natsuki mumbled as the quartet leisurely strolled towards the nearest bus stop, her friends giggling all the while.

            It was a peaceful evening, which wasn’t uncommon. Though it was a little cold out, forcing each of the girls to wear an extra layer of warm clothing, it wasn’t at all unpleasant. The crescent moon did its best to illuminate the night sky, as the taps of their feet against the concrete sidewalk provided the soundtrack for their excursion.

            The streetlamps they passed flickered almost nervously, as if they were afraid of drowning out the light of nearby stores and eateries. Every now and then a car would quietly pass by, reminding the quartet that this town wasn’t totally abandoned.

            Though their destination wasn’t exactly close to her girlfriend’s place of work, Yuri always enjoyed taking some time for an evening stroll. Plus, Milford was relatively safe enough for the four of them to be walking around by themselves at night.

            At least, that’s what they assumed.

            “Heh, you could’ve at least warned us,” Monika replied as she tried to stifle her own laughter. “I mean… by God, did you see the look on her face?”

            “She was so confused!” Sayori added, making no effort at all to hide her mirth. “I wanted to tell her the truth so badly!”

            “Ugh, please don’t. I still have to work with her,” the pink-haired girl griped, embarrassed and annoyed that their visit had caused Sable to freak out so much. “She definitely won’t believe that my – or any of our appearances – are a coincidence anymore, especially since we bailed before she could ask us anything. Aren’t you guys worried she’s going to figure out what we really are?”

            “Hmm… not really. Even if we told her, I don’t think she’d believe us,” her emerald-eyed friend said with a shrug. “I certainly wouldn’t believe we were video game characters brought into the real world by a super-smart, immortal monster hunter if I hadn’t actually lived it.”

            “…I guess that’s true, but man am I gonna have to come up with one hell of an explanation on Monday,” Natsuki groaned while rubbing her temples with her hands. “…So, other than Yuri’s exciting library visit, what else did you guys get up to today?”

            “I ran all across town going to one job interview after another… and the less said about how that went the better,” Monika muttered as a single bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, barely visible in the darkness.

            “I had breakfast!” Sayori exclaimed before it dawned on her – out of context – that might be a weird thing to be so excited about. “W-well, Monika made me breakfast, but I made my own lunch! And… I guess that’s all I did today…”

            “…You were looking at fanart of us again, weren’t you?” Natsuki taunted, poking the coral-haired girl in the side with her elbow.

            “N-no! I wasn’t looking, I was… reading,” the blue-eyed girl pouted while pressing her index fingers together. “I just wanted to find out if we all made it through WWIII okay or not!”

            “…The fuck kind of fanfiction are you read–” The pink-haired girl began to say before she bumped into Yuri, who had come to a sudden halt. “Oh, sorry babe! Everything okay–”

            Natsuki’s eyes soon spotted just what made her girlfriend pause, leaving her and the other two girls equally as stunned.

            They had arrived at their destination, which didn’t look how most people might have envisioned it. It was an empty spot on the sidewalk that, somehow, everyone in town knew was the bus stop. The majority of Milford’s residents are usually home by this late hour, so the girls were used to finding this space empty on most evenings.

            Tonight, however, was different. This time they weren’t alone.

            The man before them was tall, slender, and almost sickly looking. His face was sunken, even somewhat sagging, like it didn’t fit right on his skull. He wore an old, dingy blue suit and the pants to match, which seemed to be a size too big for him. These, however, weren’t the details that made the former members of the Literature Club stop in their tracks.

            There were no streetlights nearby, leaving the stranger barely visible in the moonlight. Yet there was no mistaking him. The dirty-blonde hair, brown eyes, even the tiredness in his eyes. It was him.

            It was Darwin.

            Questions raced through Yuri’s mind, as they certainly did for the rest of the group. What was he doing here? Why hadn’t he told them he was coming? Was he hiding something from them again? Was he spying on them?

            Though they hadn’t parted on the best of terms, it’s not like any of them never wanted to see the immortal again. They needed time to process everything, but he was still their friend. Yet, to show up unannounced like this was understandably troubling.

            The dirty-blonde boy spotted the four girls staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He shot them a perturbed, quizzical expression, like he didn’t understand why they appeared so surprised to see him. Then, without a single word, he went back to looking off into space.

            It was as if he didn’t even recognize them.

            This reaction only added to most everyone’s confused state. His dismissiveness, however, caused a very different response in Natsuki.

            “Are you fucking serious?!” The pink-haired girl exclaimed, causing the man to almost stumble backwards in surprise, as she approached him with an angry gait. “You couldn’t leave us alone long enough to figure all our shit out, and you have the gall to act like you didn’t even see us? How stupid do you think we are?!”

            “…Kid, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he said; his familiar voice bringing back bittersweet memories. “You must have me mistaken for someone else.”

            “C’mon, you don’t need to lie to us,” Sayori quickly interjected as she and the others followed their shorter friend. She wasn’t exactly happy to see him either, but clearly didn’t feel he was deserving of Natsuki’s wrath. “I mean, I know you tend to panic when you get flustered, but you had to realize we wouldn’t fall for that.”

            “Look, if this is one of those hidden camera prank shows or something, just… don’t,” the man said, as he anxiously looked off into the distance for any sign of the bus. “I’ve had a long day and I don’t need this shit.”

            “…Girls, I think we may actually have the wrong person,” Yuri whispered, though her paramour and the coral-haired girl didn’t seem to hear her. The gothic woman looked to Monika for support, who at least noticed her comment.

            “Maybe Darwin has a brother he never told us about? Or a descendant that he didn’t know also lived… here,” Monika offered, causing the other young ladies to face her.

            However, before the emerald-eyed girl could finish her thought, she was seemingly surprised by something. Yuri turned around and quickly realized what; even under the limited light of the moon, the not-Darwin’s eyes were now wide with shock.

            “You… you know him? You know his name?!” The man said while hyperventilating; seemingly just as enraged as he was terrified. “S-she… she lied to me! She said I would be safe here!”

            “Wait, ‘she?’ What are you talking… about?” Just like her taller friend, Natsuki’s comment was brought to a grinding halt by the new sight before her. Of course, considering what she saw this time, it would be hard for anyone not to be stunned.

            The man’s body made a horrifying cracking sound as his arms and neck twisted in unnatural ways. Chitinous claws tore through his fingers as if his skin were made of paper. Spikes shot out evenly across his form, ripping his suit nearly to shreds. His white teeth fell freely from his mouth before dark red fangs quickly took their place. His eyes rolled back in his skull, their opposite sides pitch black and almost soulless in appearance.

            The entity soon stood a good two feet over Yuri; it wasn’t as if he grew, it was more like his bones unfolded in such a way as to betray his true height. Soon the tattered remains of skin and cloth fell from his form, leaving a blue skeletal monstrosity towering over them.

            “…N-not Darwin! Definitely not Darwin!” The pink-haired girl managed to squeak out, as the quartet began slowly backing away from the new threat.

            “This is my home You can’t make me go back!” The shapeshift said just before it lunged at the group. “I won’t let you!”

            Had it been anyone else, the beast likely would’ve gotten at least one of them with his first attack. Instead, as the sight of an inhuman monster wasn’t entirely new to the four girls, they weren’t caught entirely off guard and managed to leap out of the way just as it rushed past them.

            “R-run!” Sayori cried out as she dashed across the street, her three friends and their pursuer following close behind.

            Yuri’s feet were the last to land on the asphalt. Her right shoulder felt warm, which drew her vision to a tear in her sleeve. The adrenaline wouldn’t let her feel it, but the entity behind the gothic woman had managed to nick her with its claws.

            Distracted by her wound, the purple-eyed girl didn’t see the incline where the road changed into the sidewalk. Her foot caught the edge, sending her tumbling to the ground.

            Now Yuri could definitely feel the cut on her shoulder, given it was on the same side of her body she landed on. The other three girls saw their friend fall and quickly rushed to her side, but they were too late.

            The shapeshifter grabbed hold of the purple-haired girl’s right leg, his sharp fingers digging into her flesh. Yuri winced, as her breathing quickened with fear. The monster raised its left arm, ready to strike.

            Then, just as the inhuman limb was about to make its descent, the beast was distracted by something off to his right. A light, rapidly growing closer. Much like a deer in the headlights, the entity froze.

            The shapeshifter’s grip loosened and, seeing the opportunity, Natsuki pulled her paramour away from the creature’s grasp and off of the road. Just in time too; a second longer and Yuri’s limb would’ve been collateral damage in the oncoming vehicle’s attack.

            The bus slammed into the monster; the near-deafening crunching noise accompanying the beast’s backwards tumble. The front of the metal monstrosity had crumpled due to the impact, leaving an almost perfect impression in the public transport’s grill. The vehicle grinded to a sudden halt beside the quartet; the double doors then swung open, revealing the bus driver within.

            He was a middle-aged man, but you’d have trouble telling that just by looking at him. He had an almost child-like expression on his face at all times, which matched his usual demeanor.

            His blue and brown uniform was wrinkled, sported the occasional mustard stain, and the shirt was buttoned unevenly. His skin was almost as pale as the Darwin doppelgänger’s was, though not nearly as sickly looking. The driver – Barry – always spoke with an accent, though it didn’t seem to belong to any one culture.

            “Jeezus Christ! T’ank God mah nat-tooral instinct when presented wit’ some-ting I don’t understand is tah hit it wit’ mah bus!” The man proclaimed to no one in particular, as the stunned quartet stared back at him. “Yoo way-tin for a’ invit-ashun from deh King his-self? Get on!”

            The four girls piled into the vehicle as quickly as they could; Natsuki helping her injured girlfriend onto her feet and up the short metal staircase. The couple made it onto the bus just as the shapeshifter began hobbled towards them.

            The creature snarled at the five people inside the public transport while clutching his right arm, which took the brunt of the impact and seemed to be dislocated. Barry quickly closed the double doors, as the entity sized up the new target before him. He stared at the young women with angry, fearful eyes, while everyone held their breath in anticipation.

            With a low, wounded growl, the shapeshifter turned away from the bus and quickly hobbled off, scrambling over the nearby chain-link fence before disappearing into the night. The quartet finally exhaled as each of them collapsed onto the gray vinyl seats.

            “Jeezus, dat was a close ‘n,” Barry stated, his own shaky breath betraying any sense of brave machismo he might have been trying to project. “Yoo gorls okay?”

            “Y-yes, t-thank you for the r-rescue,” Yuri stuttered, her soft words still audible in the quiet, echoing chamber. As she spoke, her girlfriend aggressively pulled her phone from her pocket, pulled up her contact list, and almost slammed the device against her face while it rang.

            “Ey, no t’anks ne-sis-sary,” the driver said with a shrug and a smirk, enjoying the praise maybe more than he should have been, considering the dire circumstances. “If ah didn’t help yoo gorls out, Idda been ah real–”

            “Son of a bitch!” Natsuki exclaimed, starling everyone except Barry.

            “Yeah, dat!” The man added as the pink-haired girl put her phone on speaker.

            _“Hey, this is Darwin,”_ the prerecorded message droned. _“I’m either in a place with no cell reception or unable to answer the phone because I’m currently dead. If you’re supposed to have this number, I’ll return your call as soon as I’m back in this reality or alive again. If you’re not supposed to have this number, then boy wasn’t that a funny voicemail?_

The machine beeped, and Natsuki gripped the device as if she was restraining herself from chucking it out a window. The vehicle filled with an eerie silence, which was eventually broken by the bus driver clearing his throat.

            “Well, dat was an unusual message,” Barry stated as the shorter girl stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

            “Okay, seriously, where are you supposed to be from?” Monika asked, as the least freaked out member of the group. “I’m ninety percent certain that’s not a real accent.”

            “Deh moon, ain’t it obvious?” Barry sarcastically responded. At least, it was presumably a sardonic comment, despite his voice not changing its usual inflection.

            “God damn it,” Natsuki muttered as she leaned defeatedly into Yuri’s shoulder, the latter of whom quickly wrapped her arm around her paramour in response. “The one time we actually need him, and he doesn’t even pick up!”

            “I’m certain there must be a good reason,” Yuri added, more for her own reassurance than to defend Darwin, as she gently stroked her girlfriend’s hair with her free hand. “He was already… ‘adventurous’ long before we met him. It’s entirely possible he was legitimately… ‘busy’ and couldn’t come to the phone.”

            “That doesn’t mean we can’t still be mad at him. I mean, he promised we would be safe here, and the first monster we run into was wearing his face?!” The emerald-eyed girl exclaimed, not sharing the gothic woman’s attempts at subtlety regarding their immortal friend’s true nature. The couple stared at her in surprise, they still weren’t used to hearing Monika criticize the former object of her obsessive affections. “That… thing clearly knew him, so Darwin definitely has at least something to answer for.”

            “…Yoo gorls iz fah less spooked den ah would tink yoo would be,” Barry stated, almost reluctantly. “Don’t get me wrong, ah’ve seen mah fair share ah weird shit in mah time, but yoos guys seem more pissed than anyt’ing.”

            “It’s a long story…” Natsuki muttered, her anger somewhat tempered by the wave of exhaustion starting to overtake her. “So, if we can’t get Darwin, what are we going to do now? Are we just going to let that thing get away and hurt someone else, or… come after us?”

            “Well, yoo can’t go to deh cahps!” Barry almost shouted, as if he was surprised she would even suggest that. Which, obviously, she hadn’t. “Dey’ll just t’ink yoo’re crazy! Trust me, once ah tried to tell dem dat deres ah mannequin stalking around deh old aerosol fact-tory, and dey just looked at me funny!”

            “…I… really wouldn’t know how to respond to that either,” Monika replied as the riled-up driver dismissed her comment with an exaggerated shrug. “…Alright fearless leader, what do you think we should–”

            The emerald-eyed girl paused once she saw Sayori. The coral-haired girl was staring at her own hands; her fingers wrapped tightly around each other. Natsuki and Yuri also turned their heads to look at the president of the defunct Literature Club, concerned by her silence.

            “…We were having such a good day too,” the blue-eyed girl eventually muttered, as small tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Even Barry was looking back at her with a concerned expression, as if he wanted to say something but knew he didn’t have the right words. “…C-could you just take us home, please?”

            “…Shore kid, whatevah yoo need,” the bus driver said as he cranked the ignition, causing the vehicle to roar to life. “And don’t worry about deh fare, dis one’s on me.”

            The public transport began its journey across the evening road, as each of the four girls sat back in their uncomfortable chairs. Yuri breathed in deeply, trying her best to ignore the pain in her leg and shoulder. Though having her darling sitting so close was a comfort, it did nothing to ease the new worries plaguing her mind.

            A part of her knew this place wouldn’t be their home forever, but would they now have to leave it before any of them were ready to say goodbye?

            “…Dat being said,” Barry suddenly added, interrupting the gothic girl’s thoughts. “If yoo gorls wanted to pay me back by helping me come up wit’ a reason for why dere’s a vaguely man-shaped dent in deh front of mah bus, dat’d be swell.” 

* * *

 

            The shapeshifter’s body ached, protesting the constant movement so soon after his recent injury. Yet the beast refused to heed its plead, even though he was uncertain where he was running to.

            The inhuman entity ducked between trees, leaping into foliage to avoid being spotted by passing cars. The peaceful town he once thought of as his home, his sanctuary, couldn’t see him like this. He couldn’t allow four girls and a public servant with no regard for road safety ruin everything he built here.

            The skeletal creature’s right arm was slumped forward, pushed out its socket. He swore to himself, realizing he needed to take care of this before he could continue forward. The shapeshifter knew he couldn’t use his signature ability with a piece of him out of place, and he couldn’t risk returning home in his true form.

            He came to a halt at a large, sturdy-looking tree. The creature positioned himself, drew in a sharp breath, and slammed into the trunk as hard as he could.

            The wood splintered and cracked from the impact, threatening to topple the large plant. The shapeshifter fell to the ground; doubled over in agony yet refusing to cry out, for fear of being discovered.

            “…Why did she lie?” The beast said in a pained whisper, as it caressed its injured arm with his free hand. “She promised…”

            The crunch of grass underfoot caused the skeletal creature to cease its whimpering. It shot back onto its feet, looking for the source of the noise. Before it had a chance to hide, a new figure stepped out of the shadows.

            He was wearing a black military uniform, on the sleeve of which a patch read “APART” in large white letters. Anyone in the know, which monsters like the shapeshifter usually were, knew these guys were the government’s monster hunters.

            It was unusual, however, to see only one of them. These guys usually traveled in packs.

            Yet, the strangest thing about this man wasn’t that he was alone. It was his face; maybe more so the fact that the shapeshifter had been wearing one just like it mere moments ago.

            “Oh, great, she sent the mute after me. Y’know, your boss has a lot of explaining to do!” The skeletal creature said as it spit on the ground before the man who looked just like Darwin. “When she promised to take me somewhere safe, somewhere I could live a normal life, she apparently forgot to mention that there were people here who would recognize my favorite face!”

            The dirty blonde-haired man stared blankly at the creature as it continued its rant, while unbuckling a square device from a clip on his belt. The shapeshifter didn’t even notice, far too into its tirade to even sense the pain anymore.

            “I don’t even know why I’m telling you any of this, not like you can answer for it… What’s with the costume anyways, you guys breaking into APART’s headquarters or some–” the creature’s question came to a grinding halt when it finally spotted something in his conversation partner’s irides. “Y-your eyes, they’re not red–”

            “You must have me mistaken for someone else,” Darwin calmly stated as he slammed the taser into a barely visible piece of soft flesh holding part of the monster’s skeleton together. Electricity surged throughout the creature’s form, renewing the pain as his body spasmed.

            The shapeshifter dropped to the ground once more, now too weak to fight back. He watched, helplessly, as Darwin slowly approached the fallen monster’s head. The immortal grabbed one of the creature’s horns in his right hand and began dragging him out of sight.

            Like most of the inhuman entities in this world, this wasn’t the first time our skeletal friend had encountered Darwin. This was, however, the first time he’d ever seen the immortal like this. The brown-eyed boy was typically more talkative, his mind always moving at a thousand miles per minute.

            Now – based on his steely expression – Darwin seemed more focused than usual, yet simultaneously detached. It was as if he was just moving through the motions, taking down horrific creatures with all the same interest one might have buying a new pair of socks.

            “Got one for pick up,” the immortal spoke into a walkie-talkie clipped to his right shoulder. Seconds after his statement, a bright purple dot appeared, suspended in the air.

            The shapeshifter watched, mesmerized as the light grew larger and larger, until the circle was slightly taller than Darwin himself. The skeletal entity didn’t have time to enjoy the view, or react much at all, before the brown-eyed boy hoisted his captive onto his feet and shoved him into the round shape.

            The monster thought of his home, the life he built in this town, as his sight was overtaken by violet. 

* * *

 

            The immortal winced as his eyes adjusted after traveling near instantly from darkness to a well-illuminated space. He stumbled slightly, his foot nearly missing the step off the gateway generator that brought him here.

            APART’s latest containment facility was far different from the one Darwin kept in his own home, not only because of its sterile white color scheme. Acrylic glass cells moved along a series of conveyors and cranes, transporting their inhuman inhabitants from one part of the building to another. Each box was evenly stacked between or on top of others, leaving empty spaces whenever certain beasts were needed by the organization’s scientists for “study.”

            It was a far more complex system than the brown-eyed boy was used to. He appreciated the efficient use of space, though didn’t love how APART treated their prisoners more like items to be shelved rather than people. Still, they needed to be contained – since the bunker proved insufficient for the task – and at least Darwin had managed to convince his superiors to keep the monsters in actual cells rather than the coffin-sized boxes they previously used.

            The skeletal creature, who entered the portal before him, tumbled down the short flight of metal stairs and was immediately besieged by a swarm of APART soldiers. Stun batons in hand, they went to work securing the creature for containment.

            “Guys, go easy on him,” the immortal requested, though not very forcefully. The gaggle of agents didn’t even seem to notice his presence. “Shapeshifter’s not nearly as dangerous as he looks.”

            “N-not… fair,” the creature muttered as metal restraints were placed around his arms. “Those girls… exposed me! I wasn’t doing anything wrong! I shouldn’t be punished for their–”

            Shapeshifter didn’t get a chance to finish his complaint before another stun baton was brought down upon his back. The monster croaked out a pained grunt, before collapsing in silence again.

            “Yeah, well… no one made you attack them either,” Darwin shot back as he began to walk away, no longer interested in defending the beast. “Next time try not wearing my face, dumbass.”

            “Really? Thousands of years of accumulated vocabulary and that’s the most creative insult you could come up with?” The immortal turned his head, finding the source of the comment wearing a finely pressed military uniform.

            “Eh, it was the most fitting,” the brown-eyed boy replied with a shrug as he approached Bernadette. “Sup boss?”

            “Our unimaginatively-named friend give you any trouble?” The taller woman asked as the two strolled together, monsters snarling at them as they passed their cells.

            “Surprisingly, no. He thought I was someone else at first,” Darwin explained as they entered a metal elevator. Bernadette pressed one of the many plastic buttons on the wall, causing the doors to close behind them before the carriage lurched with its sudden, upward movement. “You’ll have the full details in my debriefing, but he definitely knows something.”

            “Well, good thing you were able to find him so quickly then. One of these days you’re going to tell me how you got trackers in so many of these guys without them ever finding out,” the black-haired woman stated almost playfully, causing the immortal to flash a knowing smirk. “Speaking of your tracking algorithm, I’m guessing it didn’t show him in Milford when you dropped your friends off there?”

            “…No, it didn’t,” the brown-eyed boy’s mirth disappeared at the mention of the quartet, something Bernadette couldn’t help but notice. She wasn’t happy to see it either. “Based on what he said to me, I think he was tricked into relocating there. I just can’t figure out why…”

            A chime dinged, indicating their arrival. The metal doors slid open, and Darwin immediately felt the temperature rise several degrees.

            Before the duo stood the volcanic Speed Demon, who’s enraged scowl could frighten a mountain. Behind him was a small collection of interns, each armed with fire extinguishers.

            “Is. She. Okay?” The monster calmly, yet forcefully, asked as the group behind him readied the firefighting tools; their arms shaking with anxiety. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out? Did you honestly think word wouldn’t reach me that you went to fight a monster attacking our girl? So, and the answer better fucking be ‘yes,’ is Sayori ok– Hey!”

            The creature’s lengthy inquiry was interrupted by the automatic closing of the elevator doors; the last thing he saw before they shut was Darwin’s smirk. A moment later they were open again, and this time Speed Demon allowed his superiors the space they needed to step outside of the metal transport.

            “Very courteous of you,” the immortal sardonically stated, seemingly unconcerned that his provocation was causing the temperature to rise even higher. “And don’t worry, Sayori’s probably a little bit shaken up but definitely unharmed.”

            “…Good… I wasn’t worried or anything,” Speed Demon said with a shrug as the hallway immediately became cooler, while the nervous gaggle of interns breathed a collective sigh of relief. “She knows how to take care of herself… So, did she ask about me?”

            “Oh, I, um… didn’t actually speak with her,” Darwin replied, his smarmy grin vanishing. “I just, y’know, checked on them… from a distance.”

            “Ah, I see. I totally understand,” the monster grumbled; his responding expression a mix of an annoyance and sadistic enjoyment, like he couldn’t decide between being disappointed over not getting to hear from his one real friend or savoring his rival’s discomfort. “Tell me, Darwin, how long have you been such a fucking puss–”

            “If you two are quite finished?” Bernadette interjected, her visage an unmistakable display of annoyance. “Speed Demon, unless you’re planning on spending the rest of your day in your cell, I suggest you get back to your training.”

            “…Whatever you say, boss lady,” the molten beast muttered before vanishing, a blazing trail left in his wake. Two interns immediately chased after it, the other three going to work putting out the path of fire.

            “Hate it when he calls me that,” the black-haired woman said as an annoyed sigh escaped her lips.

            She and Darwin resumed their trek, their footsteps echoing as they traveled down the lime green hallway. Eventually they reached their destination, arriving next to a set of double doors. The duo pushed passed the gateway, finding inside what can only be described as a gymnasium so expensive that only a top-secret government agency could’ve afforded it.

            Bernadette and her immortal agent found themselves seats on the metal bleachers, as they watched the action taking place on the ground. Speed Demon was running nearly imperceptible laps around the gym track, the floor fortunately made of fireproof material.             The sadistic arachnoid, Scorpius, was shooting at stationary targets near the back of the room, while the phantom Prophet was intangibly moving through an obstacle course. In the latter’s case, it seemed more like they were testing her capacity for following orders, based on the coach screaming commands just off to the side.

            Finally, in a nearby pool, the aquatic Abysmal was jumping through hoops as if she was a captive creature at Sea World. Occasionally she’d disappear in one part of the water and reappear in a different section, depending on the directions of the nearby scientist. All around the room were guards, each armed to the teeth, keeping their watchful eyes on the superpowered creatures.

            “I still think this a bad idea,” Darwin muttered, more to himself, causing Bernadette to shoot him a look. “Hey, I’ve already agreed to play my part in all this. I just don’t understand how you managed to convince all these guys to effectively join APART, especially knowing it would mean working with me.”

            “…Everyone wants something. It’s just a simple matter of knowing what to offer,” Bernadette said with a shrug, while somehow still maintaining her rigid demeanor. “Besides, Warden wasn’t the only person interested in catching monsters, and these other organizations are far more interested in weaponizing them than he ever was. We have to respond in kind.”

            Darwin didn’t reply. He didn’t think she was right, but he didn’t have an alternative to suggest. Besides, his scattered mind was already starting to drift away again, his thoughts preoccupied with worries over the friends he left behind.

            Of course, only someone with an ego that’s survived centuries wouldn’t be able to see he was the one left behind.

            “Hey, Earth to Darwin,” the snapping of a pair of fingers in front of his face bought the immortal back to reality. His gaze turned towards his new employer, an annoyed expression adorning her visage. “I wanted to ask if you’re going to have a problem keeping your head in the game, after today’s events, but it looks I have my answer.”

            “Sorry, but you’re in for a lot of disappointment if you hired me for my razor-sharp focus,” the brown-eyed boy muttered. “And like I said, I’m choosing to be here. I won’t forget my promise, so long as you haven’t forgotten yours.”

            “I’m well aware of my responsibilities, as well as the fact that – since you’re neither human nor an American citizen – I could also strap you to a rocket headed straight for the sun and I’d only get in trouble for wasting our resources. So watch your fucking attitude,” Bernadette hissed, reminding the immortal why every APART agent he’s ever met always seemed terrified of her. “I’ll help you find Cynthia, because it’s my job to deal with threats like her anyways, just don’t forget this is your mess I’m trying to clean up.”

            With that, the black-haired woman stood up and calmly walked back towards the exit. Her gait was emotionless, a far cry from the fury she displayed mere moments ago. It was as if that rage was the norm for her, and any manner of tranquility or kindness she showed was the actual façade.

            Darwin remained in his seat and let out a low sigh. This time he knew she was right. Everything that was going to happen next, all the pain everyone he loved would endure, was going to be his fault.

            And no matter how hard he tried, there didn’t seem to be a damn thing he could do to stop it. At least, not until it’s too late. 

* * *

 

            A taser to the flesh. A purple portal opening in the air. A single shove, and then he was gone. Cynthia must have watched the hidden camera footage at least twenty times by now, despite it lasting only a minute or so. All the while, an excited smile never left her lips.

            “Not to be a wet blanket, but what exactly did we accomplish here?” Elli asked, standing behind her new leader’s metal chair, as the light of the various video screens provided the only illumination in the white-haired girl’s new home. “Like, you seem so pleased with yourself, but all we did was lose a potential ally. I’m just trying to figure out what the point was.”

            “Heh, it’s simple my child. Our ‘ally’ was the bait in a trap we’ve yet to spring,” the android’s seat swiveled, allowing her to face the electrokinetic and the concrete hallway that serves as their base of operations. The space felt so much bigger with the remaining member of their little trio absent. “I knew that Shapeshifter, obsessed with Darwin’s visage as he was, would run into our four friends eventually. The inevitable conflict between them then brought him here, proving he hasn’t abandoned them.”

            “I mean, are we even sure about that? We intercepted their call, and he didn’t respond. For all we know, he only came because his new masters made him,” Elli added, as the distant squeak of a metal door opening echoed throughout the chamber. “Also, don’t call me a child. I’m pretty sure you’re only like two years old, at most.”

            Heavy, almost rhythmic footsteps approached, and the white-haired girl didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. Who else but their own Darwin doppelgänger moved that mechanically? Besides, no one else but the three of them knew of this little hideaway.

            “You don’t know him as well as you think you do; the way I do. I’m sure he’ll justify his aloofness as not wishing to interfere,” Cynthia replied, ignoring the young woman’s last comment, as her attention fell on the red-eyed mimic and robotic arachnid approaching them. “I’m guessing you two found everything we’re looking for?”

            The not-Darwin nodded in confirmation, as the spider-bot moved from one shoulder to another, before turning to face Elli; his movement so swift it almost startled her. He raised up his right arm, in which he held a large plastic grocery bag from the Stop & Shop. The white-haired girl gingerly took the container, finding various health food items within.

            “Oh, right, I haven’t eaten all day… Thanks,” the electrokinetic said bashfully, before almost voraciously tearing into a breakfast bar. The behavioral contrast was lost on the facsimile, as he went back to facing their leader. “Darwin would rather let his friends live in fear – let them think a monster is out there looking for them – than talk to them? What a tool.”

            “First, finish eating before you start talking. You’re getting crumbs everywhere,” the blue-eyed robot stated as she brushed a few errant specks of food off her armrest. “Second, our mutual foe isn’t exactly known for his clearheaded thinking.”

            The android spun her chair back around and, with a blink of her synthetic eyelids, the footage changed. Each screen showed a different scene; Monika rushing into an office building, Yuri heading into the library, Natsuki bagging groceries, and Sayori starring out the window of their apartment.

            “Darwin has a bad habit of forgetting those who love him. Now we can be certain he’ll be here when they need him,” Cynthia continued as a devilish grin grew across her protégée’s face; the android’s gaze almost locked onto the image of the coral-haired girl. “And tomorrow, they will.”

* * *

 APART Anomaly File: 4991-92-01

Name: Damianos

Alias: Darwin

 

 **Description:** 4991-92-01 is a seemingly ordinary human male at first glance, roughly twenty years old and of Middle Eastern descent. The only visually unusual element of his appearance is the blonde streaks in his hair (which don’t appear to be an artificial coloration but aren’t a natural pigment either). However, in actuality, “Darwin” is a nigh-immortal organism possessing an abnormally high intelligence (see **Powers & Abilities** for more information).

            ~~Little concrete information has been gathered regarding his origins, and the full length of his lifespan can only be speculated at this juncture.~~ **Update (01/04/2019):** Damianos was born of two Sumerian “scientists” near the beginning of recorded human history, working with equipment and a scientific understanding far beyond anything that should have been possible at that point in time. His parents were experimenting with [REDACTED], which is believed to be responsible for roughly [REDACTED]% of all know inhuman subjects. When he was approximately [REDACTED]-years-old, Damianos was exposed to this compound in a more controlled, concentrated dose, which caused his post-human abilities to develop. At some point he murdered his parents and freed their inhuman captives; his memory was then heavily altered by another one of his family’s creations: Poly (see **File: 4991-92-08** ). The man, now calling himself Darwin, spent the next several millennia wandering the Earth in search of his purpose.

            At some point, Darwin came to the conclusion that only he could safeguard humanity from the many paranormal dangers that threatened it. While his endeavors to capture monsters hasn’t put him in direct conflict with APART yet, the fact that he does so with no oversight or accountability makes him a liability at best. His operations are currently based in an underground bunker located somewhere in [REDACTED] and he’s utilized many human and post-human agents during his quest. ~~At this moment in time, his interests are considered at odds with those of our organization and he’s to be treated as an adversarial party.~~ **Update (01/04/2019):** See **Addendum (01/04/2019)** for further information.

 

 **Powers & Abilities:** Darwin’s unique physiology affords him two inhuman abilities. The first is a form of functional immortality. While not invulnerable, his body is capable of regenerating from even the most substantial injuries (so long as some piece of him remains intact), while his exceptional immune system protects him from a vast majority of contaminants. Also, because his telomeres are constantly being refreshed, he’s seemingly unable to age. Outside of instantly destroying his entire body or finding a means of permanently maintaining his “death-state,” he could theoretically outlive mankind.

            The second is a supernatural brain chemistry that (ordinarily) allow him to process information at incredibly high speeds, perform complex mental operations beyond normal human capabilities, instantly recall any long-term memory, and learn new information/skills at an accelerated rate. His current IQ exceeds standard units of measurement. However, due to his healing factor being unable to perfectly repair his brain from most physical trauma and the deteriorating effects of time, his mental state isn’t a perfect reflection of his intellect (see **Psychological Profile** for further information).

            Outside of these features, his biology is considered identical to that of an ordinary human being’s. Any theories as to why Darwin maintained his original appearance, when so many others didn’t after exposure to _[REDACTED]_ , should be directed to Dr. [REDACTED] ( _Reasonable speculations only please, I don’t have time to read thirty fucking emails each day whenever a new intern somehow comes to the conclusion that this moron’s a new [REDACTED] or something – Dr. [REDACTED]_ ).

 

 **Psychological Profile:** Darwin’s personality is the culmination of thousands of years of societal progress. In some ways he’s considerably wiser than most people, having witnessed humanity’s progress for long enough to grow far beyond our predictable prejudices and taboos. In other ways he’s surprisingly archaic, displaying signs of an isolationist and narcissistic mindset. He’s also somewhat immature, his mental state seemingly locked in the same age as when he was first exposed to [REDACTED].

            In spite of these elements – and, in some cases, because of them – Darwin has a strong desire to protect mankind from the many paranormal dangers of our reality. However, he’s not intrinsically selfless either, and has been known to put his own desires above the feelings of those closest to him as well as take drastic measures to counter negative emotional states (see **File: 7102-22-90** for an example of this behavior).

            Of note are also several neurotic behaviors, the majority of which seem to stem from his diminished mental state. He’s frequently prone to an inability to focus, memory loss, mood swings, and a difficulty processing a sudden influx of new information. These manifestations tend to be more common during heated emotional moments, stressful situations, and after suffering significant head trauma.

 

 **Addendum (01/04/2019):** Darwin has officially joined APART on a “trial” basis. He’s been granted the rank of Collaborative Occult Agent, which makes him the equivalent of Level 4 Administrative/Field personnel. He’s currently tasked with overseeing the “Renegades” Project and allowed free reign of any (previously approved) resources for the purpose of hunting monsters whenever he wishes, so long as he continues to be cooperative. Despite this, he’s not to be granted access to currently contained entities without approval of Commander Bernadette Ortiz.

            Should Darwin consistently behave in a manner that is considered disobedient or hostile, he’s to be immediately captured and contained indefinitely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, lesson learned there. My new internship, compounded with my night classes, definitely means there will be three days of each week when I'm simply unable to write. In spite of this, I'm not planning on stopping this series before we reach some form of an ending, and I'm excited to bring you the first part of the next installment of Stranger Than Fiction!
> 
> Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this message, and I look forward to bringing you guys more content!


	2. Darwin 2.0

**THEN**

            There are a number of interesting little ways the Earth interacts with you whenever you run, if you take a second to notice them. Wind brushing against your cheeks, the sunshine warming up your bare skin, and the feel of your feet impacting against solid ground are just a few. It’s as if moving fast – simply for its own sake – is a way to commune with the planet itself that we each possess, yet never realize.

            Speed Demon had long ceased noticing these sensations. Part of this could be attributed to the pace at which he runs; moving almost faster than light itself would make it difficult for a breeze to touch anyone.

            Yet, even if he slowed down enough to let nature catch up with him, the molten entity isn’t able to feel much of anything anyways. Not wind, warmth, nor impact. Even pain is a rare presence. The only thing that always remains, in both his body and mind, is that drive to move. To run.

             The volcanic creature sped through town after town, ducking past nearly immobile cars and frozen jaywalkers. If we could see the world from Speed Demon’s perspective, we would feel as if this were only a light sprint. Movement is effortless for the speedster, while time is an abstract concept. It wouldn’t be until a full day passes for him that anyone will notice the trail of flames left in his wake.

            The next day, less than an hour for the rest of the world, the monster stepped off the coast of Rhode Island and onto the blue expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The sea remained firm underneath his feet, as he knew it would at his speed, though this was still a risky endeavor. Should his mind slow down for any reason… well, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that our quick friend and water don’t mix. Still, not like there’s really any other way for him to get home.

            Only a few minutes after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, his molten feet were back on Italian soil. He’d been Darwin’s (and, to a lesser extent, Warden’s) prisoner for so long; he was expecting home to be different since his last visit. Even so, he wasn’t expecting to see so much of the modern world in the place where his humanity was lost.

            Ordinary buildings, ordinary roads, and ordinary people. It was a far cry from the Roman architecture he was accustomed to. The massive volcano loomed ominously in the background, the city’s modernization almost an insult to the natural flora coating it. As if the entire town was one giant middle finger to the destructive power of a planet that tried to kill it.

            And yet, somehow, the fact that Mount Vesuvius remained untouched was an even greater offense to Speed Demon himself. That mankind hadn’t torn it down in vengeance, that it remained untouched and he was so… different. The monster gritted the molten rocks that passed for his teeth, before turning away from the upsetting sight and heading towards his true destination: The ruins of Pompeii itself.

            Even with the frozen tourists surrounding him, the city’s remains still felt unnaturally empty. The volcanic creature wandered the street, taking in sights he hadn’t been able to appreciate for centuries and experiencing the melancholy it caused him. He was standing in a massive gravesite, preserved to commemorate the historic importance of death, which outsiders pollute with their inability to comprehend the full weight of such a tragedy.

            After nearly (from his perspective) a week of revisiting his home, the monster finally began to feel his fatigue catching up with him. Speed Demon trudged into the Amphitheatre, sat down in the center of the space, and closed his eyes.

            Those who know this creature often make the assumption that he’s impatient, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Anyone would be a touch annoyed having to deal with a world that moves at less than a snail’s pace and people who can’t speak faster than one word per hour. The molten entity was fine with waiting, so long as it was at his own pace.

            He had no problem knowing Pompeii’s fine citizens would notice his sudden appearance in the Amphitheatre, before calling whatever authorities are supposed to be called in this situation. He was fine with all of this because, before he’s forced back into an underground cell, he at least got to see his homeland one last time. Which is why, when the exhaustion of days of constant motion finally lulled him to sleep, he was ready for the face he knew would be there once his eyes opened again.

            Which is also why, when he finally awoke, it was so surprising to find a far more feminine visage than he’d been expecting.

            “About damn time, we’ve been standing here for almost ten minutes,” the black-haired leader of APART said, her steely eyes leering down at the volcanic creature. Bernadette was blocking the monster’s view of the setting sun; the light shining behind her gave the woman an almost angelic image, akin to the terrifying monstrosities the Bible actually describes. “If it weren’t for the fact that your skin is molten rock, we’d have tried to shake yooooooooou awaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…”

            Time slowed down as Speed Demon’s accelerated perception kicked back in, allowing him to rapidly take in his surroundings. Appropriate word choice, as the monster was surrounded on all sides by APART’s goons. The masked agents and their rifles didn’t worry him much, but the precautions they’d set up were another story.

            All around the Amphitheatre were portable metal turrets, each one aimed right at him. Ordinarily, these wouldn’t be a problem either, yet the speedster knew better. These were designed specifically for him; programmed to automatically fire the millisecond he made a sudden movement and to predictively aim for where he was going to be.

            Even at his top speed, there was no way he could dodge them all. Plus, considering Darwin had made his weakness known, there’s no way those things weren’t packing chalcanthite bullets. He’d be cut down the second he started to sprint.

            _So, better to play nice,_ the monster reasoned to himself. _For now._

            “I was expecting someone else,” Speed Demon said. Of course, when Bernadette remained frozen in place, he remembered he needed to slow down. The creature let out an annoyed sigh before allowing the rest of the world to catch up with him.

            “…ake,” Bernadette completed her unfinished sentence, followed by blinking her eyes in confusion. “…Did you just say something really fast?”

            “I said I was expecting someone else,” the monster reiterated, the slow and repetitive nature of this conversation already trying his nerves. “I’m surprised you found me first.”

            “Well, I believe Darwin’s a little bit busy at the moment,” the black-haired woman said. She smirked, but there was no joy or mirth behind it. “Plus, it’s hard to miss a straight line of fire that began in California and reappeared in Pompeii. Hard to cover it up too, so thanks for that.”

            “Heh, sorry for the trouble,” Speed Demon insincerely stated; doing his best to remain calm despite all the guns trained on him. “I’m guessing you’re here to bring me in under the usual threat of death?”

            “I suppose that’s somewhat true, though I do have a slightly… unique offer,” the woman’s grin turned mischievous, which was at least an actual emotion. The volcanic creature’s curiosity was officially piqued by this point. “I can’t image how tortuous it must be for you, something built for inhuman levels of speed, to be locked away in a box forever.”

            “Congratulations, you’ve read the psyche profile that your own guys wrote about me,” Speed Demon’s annoyance remained at the forefront of his mind, even with the intrigue this line of conversation was starting to build. “Don’t tell me you’re going to let me go?”

            “Oh, not a chance in hell,” Bernadette almost instantly replied, as if she had been anticipating that question and was looking forward to answering it. “But, if you prove cooperative, we might be able to make certain… accommodations for your stay with us.”

            “Let me guess, you want me to join you, help you imprison people like me, and in exchange I get the privilege of not having to spend eternity locked up?” The monster could see he’d hit the nail on the head with his deductive reasoning, based on the twitch in the black-haired woman’s eye. She seemed ready to make a stronger case for her proposal. Fortunately, she didn’t have too. “Sounds good. I’m in.”

            “…Wait, really?” What remained of Bernadette’s crooked smile vanished upon hearing her new recruit’s acquiescence. “N-not that I’m unappreciative or anything, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting more resistance on your part.”

            “Well, it’s a win-win for me. I ain’t exactly a fan of most other monsters, and at least this way I’ll still be able to run around sometimes,” the volcanic creature said as he slowly, deliberately rose of the ground. The turrets followed his movements but didn’t fire on him. “Besides, I’m not exactly interested in an endless cycle of breakouts and imprisonment with either Darwin or you guys. Plus, recent events have caused me to… reprioritize.”

            “…The girl, Sayori… she’s the reason you want to play nice with us now, isn’t it? After all, can’t exactly be pals with such a kind person if you’re out there killing people, nor while harboring a grudge against one of her friends,” Speed Demon said nothing, but his silence was the all the answer Bernadette needed. Her grin returned; she could work with this. “Alright, then welcome to APART… I should warn you though, if you’re hoping to get away from Darwin by siding with us, he’s going to be in charge of keeping you in line. That won’t be a problem I trust?”

            The monster fell silent, his molten claws balled up into fists as his teeth ground against each other once more. For the first time during this conversation, Bernadette began to feel an inkling of fear, though it was quickly replaced by annoyance.

            “Not a problem at all,” Speed Demon replied, now sporting a shit-eating grin of his own. “…Boss lady.”

* * *

 

**NOW**

            Ace squinted as the morning sun shone down upon her. _It’s too damn bright for as chilly as it is today_ , she thought to herself. Granted, Milford’s residents would likely consider the temperature pretty comfortable, yet the hazel-eyed woman was far more accustomed to a warmer climate.

            Which is probably why she rarely ventured lower than the second level of the underworld. It gets surprisingly cold down there.

            The succubus strolled up the staircase, her pumps making satisfying clicks against the concrete with each step. Her usual crimson attire was a sharp contrast to the beige color scheme of the exterior walls.

            After another minute of walking, Ace found her destination: Apartment #12. The naturally superstitious monster peered over at the adjacent abode, thinking to herself how dangerously close her clients were to an unlucky home, before rapping her right hand against the wooden door.

            The sounds of conversation that was only somewhat audible behind the gateway fell dead silent, before a pair of footsteps hesitantly approached the door. Ace’s curiosity was immediately piqued by this behavior. The girls knew she was coming today; did they forget about their appointment or was she at the wrong place? _Mortal addresses are so confusing_ , the demon mused, _so much easier to find someone in the afterlife when there are only nine circles to deal with_.

            “…Who’s there?” The voice of Natsuki called out from behind the barrier, though Ace couldn’t tell who it belonged to. As she’d never actually met the pink-haired girl before, the succubus was even more uncertain if she was where she’s supposed to be.

            _Wait_ , Ace thought to herself, _did Sayori’s text say it was in Milford, Connecticut or Milford, Ohio?_

            “Somebody order a therapist?” The hazel-eyed girl playfully asked. Now she was really hoping this was the right apartment, otherwise whoever was on the other end was going to be terribly confused.

            “Ooh! That’s her!” A more familiar, bubbly voice chimed in, causing the succubus’ smile to grow even wider. Sayori’s excitement ought to be classified as a biohazard, due to how infectious it is. “You can let her in!”

            “Hold on a second,” Natsuki quickly muttered, resulting in the monster’s grin turning into a perplexed frown. “How do we know she’s really who she says she is?”

            Ordinarily, a person might find themselves completely befuddled after hearing a comment like that one. Ace, however, isn’t exactly a normal individual and could think of a million reasons why someone might ask that. It didn’t help that her mischievous side convinced her to play along.

            “Well, if you open the door a crack and let me smell the air, I can tell you the exact number of people who’ve had sex in this apartment!” The succubus offered.

            “Not a chance! We’re not opening this door until we know you’re you,” the tsundere growled; the concern hidden behind her determined tone was starting to worry Ace, though the following statement convinced her she still wanted to see where this went. “A-and we don’t want to know who else has been doing… stuff like that in here!”

            “Well, it’s definitely been at least six times since we moved in,” Monika’s voice now made its presence known, as the room fell dead silent once again. “…You and Yuri aren’t as quiet as you think you are.”

            Ace could almost feel the warmth of the two lovebirds’ blushing from where she was standing outside. She tried, and failed, to suppress her laughter.

            “Heh, she definitely sounds like her,” Sayori added, though even she didn’t sound fully convinced. The hesitation hurt the demon’s feelings; she wasn’t too surprised by Natsuki’s behavior – based on what she knew about the tsundere, this could just be normal for her – but Sayori definitely wasn’t this paranoid. “Oh! I think Ace can teleport! The last time I called her she just appeared in the bunker. If she did that, would that prove who she is?”

            “…I mean, I guess. But…”

            _I’ll take that as permission to enter_ , Ace thought to herself as she closed her eyes and concentrated.

* * *

            “…that’s assuming that thing from last night can’t also tele– Holy shit!”

            Natsuki turned away from the door just in time to witness Ace blink into existence in the middle of their abode. Sayori was parked on the nearby couch with a computer in her lap, seemingly slightly less shocked than Monika (who flinched so hard she almost dropped her coffee cup). Yuri almost didn’t notice their guest at first, as she was running from one part of the apartment to another, yet even she ceased her frantic interview preparations long enough to stare at the demonic therapist.

            “Whassup bitches– Lucifer’s wings!” When Ace opened her eyes, she saw the small living space in a state of absolute disarray. Sheets and pillows were strewn about the sole mattress as well as the couch, while a sleeping bag remained unfurled in the center of the room. Clothing and junk food wrappers were scattered across the ground. The blinds for both windows were drawn, giving the space a drearier appearance. A trio of unwashed coffee mugs sat beside the sink, the fourth one Monika set down on the tiny dining room table. “And I thought my place was gross.”

            Worse off were the residents themselves. Three out of the four girls had dark circles under their eyes, making it apparent they hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep. Only Yuri didn’t look as tired, which – based on her earlier energetic movements – was probably because she had just the right amount of caffeine in her system to at least function. They all seemed frightened and anxious too, especially Natsuki (who appeared to have a little too much caffeine in her system).

            “D-don’t scare us like that!” The jittery young woman shouted; the sight of such a tiny, furious girl giving orders to a creature of the underworld would’ve been a somewhat funny sight to those in the know regarding the latter’s true nature. Ace likely would’ve thought so too, but now she was really starting to worry about them.

            “Won’t happen again, promise,” the succubus assured, which seemed to at least calm the pink-haired girl down somewhat. “…So, what am I missing? Or is this just how the kids are living these days?”

            “It’s… a long story,” Monika sighed while rubbing the bridge of her nose with her right index finger and thumb. “The short version is that last night we were attacked by some kind of blue skeleton thing, which we mistook for Darwin.”

            “Oh, you mean Shapeshifter?” Ace asked nonchalantly, receiving an uncertain shrug from Sayori. “Yeah, that guy’s obsessed with Darwin’s face. Just his face. Weird dude, usually pretty harmless though.”

            “‘Harmless?’ He almost killed Yuri!” Natsuki suddenly exclaimed. With a look from her pink-haired girlfriend, the gothic beauty slowly raised her skirt enough so that the four claw marks on her right thigh were clearly visible.

            “Damn, that’s… surprising,” the therapist replied as she scratched her chin in contemplation. “Still, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. The guy’s a fiend, kinda like a lesser demon; I would’ve sensed him if he were still in town. Wherever he is, it’s not Milford.”

            “That’s certainly a relief,” Yuri muttered as she shimmied a black stocking up her left leg, while frantically searching for its counterpart. “Now I can depart for my interview with only the mind-numbing terror of social interaction looming over me…”

            “I still think it’s best we travel in pairs today, just to be safe,” Natsuki added, not receiving any objects from her still-dressing girlfriend. “Anyways, I’m guessing our near-death experience doesn’t excuse us from our therapy session today?”

            “Oh, not a fucking chance,” Ace said with a grin, her expression somehow conveying both a nurturing aura as well as a mischievous glint. “In fact, I’d like to start with you Natsuki. That way we can give more time for Yuri to get ready, while also allowing you two a chance to leave sooner. That said, I need everyone to clear out! Not a lot of possibility of privacy with you all here, so–”

            “Aw, can’t we at least wait till I’ve finished this chapter?” Sayori requested, her puppy dog eyes immediately grabbing hold of everyone’s heartstrings. “It’s just getting good! I gotta know if Natsuki and Amy finally bury the hatchet in time for the talent show!”

            “…Sayori, what are you reading?” The pink-haired girl asked, the “feels” caused by her leader’s cuteness immediately replaced by suspicion.

            “Oh! I’m reading one of Sable’s fanfics about us! At least, I think it’s hers. ‘xXx_Dark_Sable_6969_xXx’ could be anyone, but I have a hunch I got the right one,” The blue-eyed girl admitted without any sense of embarrassment or shame. “She’s a really good writer too! Though some of her stuff is kinda raunchy. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the mental image of Yuri and Monika using a shoe horn to–”

            “Yes thank you Sayori we don’t need any more details!” Natsuki rapidly replied, her visage sporting a color almost matching her hair. The emerald-eyed girl was covering her face with her hands, whether out of embarrassment or trying to not to laugh was unclear. Yuri hadn’t been paying attention, quietly celebrating her discovery of the missing stocking inside the sink (though how it got there in the first place is the one mystery we’ll never truly get an answer to). “You can all go outside now!”

            Sayori grumbled as she closed her laptop and made her way towards the door, Monika close behind her. The gothic woman swiftly ducked into the bathroom and exited with a brush, continuing her preparations as she and the others left their shared abode.

            As the door closes behind her friends, Ace noticed Natsuki quietly pulling her phone out of her pocket. A press of the home button, and the shorter girl saw the same pastel pink background that she was expecting. What she still didn’t see, unchanged since she last checked twelve minutes ago, were any missed calls.

            Twelve hours later, and Darwin still hadn’t called them back.

            “Well, now that the usual shenanigans are out of the way, are you ready to get started?” Ace asked. She could tell something was weighing on the young woman’s mind, and she was eager to get to the bottom of it.

            “…Whatever,” Natsuki muttered as she slid her phone back in her pocket. “Let’s just get this over with.” 

* * *

 

            “…And I think the crux of my problems is that I don’t have anyone to share manga with.”

            Ace didn’t need her empathic powers to figure out that Natsuki didn’t want to do this. The pink-haired girl was lying on the couch, her smaller form barely reaching both ends of the piece of furniture. Her eyes were staring up at the ceiling, her arms crossed in annoyance.

            “Really? You think that’s the main thing?” The demonic therapist asked. She was seated atop an overturned suitcase, pressing her hands against the back corners to keep herself upright. Natsuki had made a fuss that Ace only worsened mess when she dragged it out of their closet, but conceded that it was a better alternative than her sitting on their dining table. “Damn, sounds like you aren’t in need of my services then. That is, unless you wanna become reading buddies? I happen to have a private collection of some pretty hot stuff–”

            “You’re correct, and no thank you,” Natsuki was quick to answer both questions, seemingly missing the woman’s sardonic tone as she began to rise from the couch. “Now, if we’re done here–”

            “I did have one more question,” the demon interjected. Again, she didn’t need her empathic abilities to see her client didn’t want to do this, but they were certainly useful for figuring out that something else was bothering her. Natsuki let out an annoyed sigh but returned to her reclined position nonetheless. “The situation that went down in Warden’s bunker… I’ve picked up a few details from Sayori, but maybe you could paint me a better picture?”

            “Not much to say, just your standard life-and-death adventure,” the tsundere answered, brushing the question off with as much subtlety as if she used an actual broom.

            Ace didn’t say anything. She knew Natsuki wasn’t being honest, and her non-reaction let the pink-haired girl know this. She also knew the silence was unnerving her, which might help shake the truth loose.

            It wasn’t the most honest tactic, but Ace wasn’t exactly conventional in her line of work. Considering the things her clients usually go through, she couldn’t afford to be.

            “Okay, fine! Things got… rough by the end,” Natsuki confessed almost furiously, reacting as if the demon had been badgering her with the same question over and over again. “Warden got the drop on me and had a… gun against my head. It was… it was a lot.”

            “That must have been scary,” Ace replied.

            “No kidding. I’ve faced some pretty terrifying shit before, like what happened last night, but this was… different,” the pink-eyed girl continued, as her left hand moved defensively up towards her shoulder. “Just the thought that it could go off at any second that… that would’ve been it. No more me. I couldn’t even fight it.”

            “That’s an understandable reaction, you don’t seem like the type who enjoys feeling powerless,” Natsuki was nodding in agreement, as if the therapist’s statements had all the same rhythm as a catchy tune. “Especially considering everything that happened with Monika and her god-like coding skills, not to mention your father…”

            The tsundere’s head bobbing came to a sudden halt as she sat up from her seat, her gaze filled with suspicion. Ace simply rolled her eyes, quickly realizing her mistake.

            “You’re a fictional character, my dear. Your background’s available for public consumption, and you can’t exactly blame me for doing my homework,” Natsuki’s brow remained furrowed, but she laid back down once again. “You can see why I wanted to discuss this with you. A traumatic experience like that can often be a huge catalyst for change.”

            “I… hadn’t thought about it that way,” the pink-haired girl admitted, her visage finally relaxing. “I mean, I was definitely willing to stay in the bunker until… all that happened. And even though we’re barely set up here… I can’t stop thinking about what we’re going to do next. Like, now that I don’t have to worry about high school or my dad… I need to actually figure out what we’re going to do about our future.”

            Now Ace’s brow was the one furrowing. The future was always a tricky subject for her; immortals are generally terrible when it comes to giving advice that’s time-dependent. The therapist stood up from her impromptu seat, finger on her chin as she wandered around the apartment. Natsuki saw this contemplative (if somewhat bizarre) behavior and decided not to comment on it; it’s not like she didn’t have her own things to think about while she waited.

            The thing about being an empath is that it’s much harder to describe than most mental abilities. Even though there’s no sound used when communicating telepathically, mortal minds still interpret the sensation as if they’re hearing a voice.

            Emotional empathy is more like… seeing colors without your eyes. It’s almost akin to daydreaming, though in a manner that’s entirely involuntary.

            Natsuki was a bright yellow, her mind all bundled up in uncertainty and fear. It radiated from her like heat off a stovetop, and a more Mephistophelian part of Ace felt drawn to her weakness as if she were a moth to a flame. Fortunately, the demon was able to keep herself distracted by thinking of ways to put out this fire.

            Outside, even through the brick walls, Ace could feel the emotions of the other three girls. Yuri was an almost blinding red, her anxiety shining like a spotlight. She was nervous about her interview, that was certain… but there was something else there too, something deeper buried beneath the surface.

            Monika, meanwhile, was surprisingly gray. Her emotions were actually fairly balanced, considering everything she’d been through. Yet it was still a little murky, like she was hiding something even from herself.

            Finally, there was Sayori, her mind was a sickly green. As worrying as this was, it couldn’t help but pique Ace’s curiosity. What could such a sweet girl have to feel so guilty about?

            _Question for later,_ Ace thought to herself with a smile, as she finally figured out what Natsuki needed to hear from her.

            “Your concerns are valid, and definitely normal for someone your age,” the demon began as she made her way over to the couch and sat on the armrest closest to her client’s legs. “But you speak of what ‘we’re’ going to do about ‘our’ future. Your friends are smart, they can make their own choices and I’m betting they’ll be good ones. Right now, you should be thinking about you and what you want for your future, rather than what you think you should be doing.”

            Natsuki didn’t say anything at first; after a moment of contemplation, she finally smiled. It might have been the first time Ace ever saw her do so, and it was a pleasant sight. Though the yellow wasn’t gone from the young girl’s mind, little bits of pink were starting to reappear.

            “Well, our thirty minutes are up,” Ace said as she and Natsuki rose off the couch. “You’re free to go, and I wouldn’t dawdle. I can sense your girlfriend’s impatience from here.”

* * *

            “…You seem… distracted…” The demon muttered as she watched her newest client fidget with her hair. Ordinarily, this was the kind of thing Yuri did when she was embarrassed, but now it looked to be more of a general nervous tic.

            The gothic woman, unlike her paramour, remained upright on the couch. Even sitting down, she had this poised quality to her, almost like a Renaissance painting with an abnormally heavy use of purple. Even so, it was clear that she shared her girlfriend’s reluctance to do this.

            “…A-ah, yes… I s-suppose I am,” Yuri eventually replied, failing to immediately notice Ace was speaking to her, despite being the only other person in the room. “Forgive me. My mind is somewhere else today.”

            “Understandable, I’m sure this upcoming interview must be nerve-racking, especially for someone who isn’t the most social,” the demon replied. Natsuki had warned her three friends that their therapist already had insider knowledge about them, but it was still bizarre for the purple-eyed girl to hear comments like that from someone she barely knew. “Still, I’m surprised that you don’t seem that shaken up by last night’s monster attack. It would be more than reasonable if you were, especially considering you were the one injured.”

            Yuri nodded quietly; her mind barely anchored in the present moment. She looped a lock of hair around her right index finger as recent memories flooded her mind.

            “I suppose I’m somewhat used to it at this juncture… It’s not as if that was the first time I almost died,” the taller girl confessed with all the same emotion as if she were admitting that she found a popular film to be rather dull. It was a dejected statement, mired in grim acceptance.

            It made Ace sad to see such a bright young girl feel so defeated. Yet still there was that unknown something behind her nerves and sorrow, and it was clearly causing her anxiety. Yet, for the life of her, Ace just couldn’t figure out what it might be.

            “That’s fair… Still, Natsuki told me how close you guys came to losing her in Warden’s bunker,” the demon was fishing for information at this point, though this seemed like a safe bet. Two girls in their first relationship, a life-or-death situation… it would stress anyone out. “That must have been difficult, seeing her in danger and being unable to help her.”

            “O-of course it was! I was so afraid that monster would take her from me… I’m just so grateful that’s all behind us,” Yuri’s response wasn’t surprising. She clearly cared about Natsuki, there wasn’t any doubt about that. Yet the gothic woman clearly wasn’t that concerned by her own helplessness during that crisis either.

            Unlike her other three friends, Yuri didn’t see herself as the protector of the group. While that means she more easily compartmentalizes all the trauma and fear than her friends can, who were always worried about whatever might come next, it also means the taller girl has come to accept danger as just a part of their lives. How could she think any differently, after what happened last night?

            _But that still isn’t the root of the problem_ , Ace thought to herself. _If Yuri isn’t afraid of the danger she assumes is lurking around every corner, then what is she so worried about?_

            When we have secrets, it can often be easier to share them with a relative stranger you believe is invested in keeping them, rather than those you’re closest with. The demon finally saw it on her client’s face, the uncertainty of someone who was holding something back and wanted it off their chest but was debating whether it was worth the risk.

            “Though, with everything that happened that day… I suppose it’s not _all_ behind us…” Fortunately for Ace, Yuri reached the conclusion that if she didn’t say something now, she may never get the chance to later. “Something… else happened. Something really bad.”

            The demon sat silently, allowing her client to take her time and find the words. The purple-eyed girl inhaled slowly and deeply, before finally releasing a shaky exhale. Her hands were trembling now, shaking the hair still caught between her fingers.

            “When Sayori and I became separated from the rest of the group, we were ambushed by the shadow creature… Poly,” Ace’s grip became tense as Yuri told her story; she knew that monster was a part of Warden’s entourage, but she never knew the full extent of his involvement. “In order to stop him from… breaking us, we essentially forced our psyches upon his own, projecting our traumas into his unprotected mind.”

            “That’s… quite a risky tactic, but I guess an effective one. I don’t think anyone’s ever tried that before,” the therapist’s body relaxed, and a smile returned to her lips. Hearing this reminded Ace how resourceful these girls could be, and that these mortals were certainly stronger than she and Darwin often gave them credit for.

            “I’m grateful it worked as well, but it required I return to a… darker side of my mind, one I swore I’d never give in to again… I presume you have some idea of what I’m referring to?” The demon’s smile vanished as she gave an affirmatory nod. Ace’s research taught her all about Yuri’s tendency to harm herself for pleasure, and she cursed herself for failing to consider that this might have been the root of the problem. “Sayori’s the only other person who knows what happened that day, and I don’t want my darling to worry… But the truth is I’m frightened that I’ll give in to this habit once more, having opened my psyche to this ghost… it’s as if it’s compelling me… to…”

            The gothic girl trailed off, but she didn’t need her words to paint Ace a picture of how she felt. Yuri’s color was now less of a red and more of a hot pink; that anxiety was still there, but even the slightest thought had clouded Yuri’s mind with sinful desires.

            Fortunately, this was exactly the type of sin the succubus was an expert on.

            “Believe it or not, I know exactly how you feel. The pain/pleasure connection can be far stronger for some people than others, and I’m just as guilty of taking thing too far as you are,” the purple-haired girl’s hue suddenly bottomed out, her mind completely blank with shock. Her visage matched her emotional state, as she stared confused and wide-eyed at her therapist. “…You do realize you aren’t the only person in the world who feels this way? Tons of people enjoy painplay, myself included. I am a sex demon, after all.”

            “I… I mean, I knew there were other… ‘activities,’ but I always assumed those were more of a… dominance thing,” the taller girl’s mind was blown, even as a light blush brightened her visage, and Ace did her best not to giggle. Despite everything, the fact that Yuri could still be surprisingly innocent about certain topics was a little amusing. “…I had no idea there were other people like me.”

            “Well, your case might be a little extreme, but you’re definitely not the kinkiest person I’ve ever worked with,” now the gothic girl’s blush was a red as her emotional state, and she quickly hid her eyes behind her bangs. “The thing you need remember is that anything can be bad if you have too much of it. It’s like water; drink too much and it can kill you. You just need to find a healthy way you can exercise your desires that your partner will be comfortable with.”

            Ace pulled out a pink business card from her coat pocket and handed it to Yuri. Only the demon’s name and a phone number were printed on the laminated piece of paper, though the young woman did notice the latter part was just five iterations of “69.”

            “I don’t want to hold you up any longer, so give me a call sometime at my ‘other job.’ I can definitely give you some advice on ways to… ‘enjoy yourself’ without taking any serious risks,” Ace explained with a wink.

            Yuri’s face was beginning to return to its normal shade, though it was obvious this line of conversion made her more than a little uncomfortable. Even so, Ace knew she’d hit her mark, based on the hints of purple cutting through all the red and pink.

            “I… thank you. You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about... and it’s been nice to actually talk about this with someone,” the gothic girl’s visage was calm, as if a wave of relief had washed over her entire body. That is, until she spotted the wall clock out of the corner of her eye and realized just how long they’d been talking. “B-but I mustn’t delay! This interview… it’s practically my dream job on the line!”

            “Hey, you don’t have a thing to worry about. Based on what I’ve seen thus far, they’d be a damned fool not to hire you,” the demon reassured as Yuri swiftly rose from the couch, her newfound friend’s kind words renewing her confidence. “…Unless you’re late! Get moving!”

            And with that, the purple-haired girl shot out of the room like a bat out of hell. An idiom Ace always found confusing; bats rarely reside in the Underworld, and those that do never try to leave.

            The moment Yuri threw open the door, Natsuki immediately ceased reclining against the metal railing. They didn’t even need to speak, the taller girl just kept running until she was out of sight; her paramour right behind her.

            Monika caught the gateway before it had the chance to close, and she locked eyes almost immediately with Ace. The young woman was smiling, but there were still those telltale signs of hesitation.

            What could someone so young possibly have to hide?

            Ace quietly, imperceptivity sighed. This one was going to be interesting. 

* * *

 

           “…and I guess that about sums it up. Thank you for listening.”

            _That… was surprisingly uninteresting_ , the demon thought to herself.

            Their conversation hadn’t been unusual in any way. Monika’s feelings of responsibility and guilt, a lack of purpose, were leading to an increasingly frantic job search. Of course, each rejection only amplifies those feelings; and thus, the cycle spins on forever more.

            That murkiness, however, still remained. Whatever was wrong, Monika hadn’t told her. The emerald-eyed girl looked ready to leave and a therapist who didn’t have Ace’s unique insight would have been content to end it there. Yet, considering what she knew, the demon couldn’t just let the young woman walk away until this was solved.

            What the succubus can do is an invasion of privacy, no doubt about it. Even if she can’t help it. Yet there’s still something to be said about power, and the responsibility that supposedly comes with it…

            “Um… happy to help,” Ace replied, trying to stall. “…Are you… sure there’s nothing else you want to talk about? You’ve endured several traumatic events over the past year, not to mention the… rejection you had to experience from Darwin. That couldn’t have been easy, considering what you were once willing to do to gain his favor.”

            “God… the events of the game feel like a lifetime ago,” the brown-haired girl replied. She seemed surprisingly at ease with the demon’s awareness of her previous life, as if her desire to atone made any potential secrecy about her past a moot point. “But, to your question, I’m… mostly over him.

            Ace raised an eyebrow at the word “mostly,” and the emerald-eyed girl almost laughed seeing that reaction. It was true, even outside of what transpired in their original reality, Monika went to dangerous lengths in order to make the immortal feel for her as she once had for him. She could still remember the sanity-shattering headache when she let Abysmal into her mind.

            “…I… the truth is, this hasn’t been something easy to get over. It’s getting less difficult every day, but still…” Monika clasped her hands together, the first (physical) sign she’s shown of any discomfort. Cracks were starting to appear in her mind as well; little bits of shameful green, a different shade than her eyes, and maybe just a hint of an obsessive-passion caused by memories of the one she loved. “And I think it’s part of that loss of purpose. Loving him was my entire reason for being… and I know that’s pathetic–”

            “For most people… maybe, and I’d still hesitate to use that word. But you’re a digital program made flesh; that’s not exactly ‘most people,’” Ace quickly added; the interruption giving her client time to reflect on the truth of this statement. This is where the demon excelled, reminding inhuman being they don’t have to hold themselves to normal society’s standards. “Each day you acknowledge your negative thoughts, and actively work to manage them, is progress.”

            Ace was ecstatic to see the young woman’s willingness to share her feelings, especially ones that might be embarrassing. Even still, her emotions were only starting to peek through. They still had a ways to go before they got to the heart of whatever’s troubling her.

            “…Also… there’s one more thing…”

            Fortunately for everyone involved, Monika proved willing to cut right to the chase.

            “You’re right, I’m definitely not most people. Something’s happening to me, and I… Perhaps it’s better if I just show you,” the demon watched as the emerald-eyed girl closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Ace’s assumption was that she was mentally preparing herself for a serious confession, until her phone began to ring.

            “Shit, sorry. I thought I put it on vibrate…” The succubus explained as she fished for her device from her jacket pocket.

            “You did,” Monika calmly replied, her eyes still closed. Phone in hand, Ace turned it to the side and saw the little sidebar still pressed downward. Even so, her ringtone wouldn’t stop. The screen wasn’t even lit up.

            _The best thing about this job,_ the therapist thought to herself with a bemused grin, _is that_ _somehow it still manages to surprise me._

“Ever since coming to this reality, my friends and I kept noticing weird stuff happening whenever we were around machines. I only recently figured out that the cause… was me,” Monika opened her eyes, and the ringing came to an abrupt stop. Ace put the device back in her pocket; her focus entirely on the woman sitting before her. “I… I have no idea what’s happening to me; I couldn’t think of anything else to do but hide it. I haven’t told the other girls, nor Darwin… the one person who’d probably know what’s happening to me…”

            Ace’s smile suddenly vanished, timed perfectly with her heart plummeting into her stomach. Somehow the reality of a situation always seemed found a way to ruin the fantastic parts of it.

            “Monika, listen to me very carefully. You can _never_ tell Darwin about this,” the demon interjected, her tone astonishingly somber. Her response almost frightened the emerald-eyed girl; she wasn’t expecting that reaction from someone usually so lackadaisical. “There are two things you need to understand. First, I doubt our immortal friend would understand how you got these powers any better than you do. Remember, the way he brought you guys into our world isn’t an exact science.”

            “That’s… a fair point,” the younger woman muttered in response. Even though she knew Ace was likely correct, that first point alone didn’t warrant the severity in her tone. “And the second?”

            Ace took a deep breath, her eyes closed in concentration. She was leaning forward on her impromptu seat now; any hint of a casual demeanor was no longer present in her body language.

            “…Darwin’s my best friend; so, I think it’s fair to say I know him better than anyone else,” the demon’s eyes were opened once more; her steely gaze replaced by a sympathetic look. “He means well, but a budding cyberkinetic is still a major threat in a world that’s dependent on technology. No matter your shared history, he won’t treat you the same way, especially now that he’s…”

            Ace shook her head as her train of thought went off track; the memory of a recent promise causing her to keep quiet about the immortal’s new line of work. Besides, she didn’t need her empathic powers to see this line of conversation was frightening Monika. Granted, while the emerald-eyed girl was grateful for an excuse to avoid speaking with Darwin and potentially dredge up old feelings, the only lead she had on understanding this bizarre change just went up in smoke. While the demon was glad her words weren’t falling on deaf ears, she quickly decided this shouldn’t be the note they end today’s session on.

            “I have… let’s a say a friend, a discrete one, who has a bit of a side hustle helping people master their inhuman abilities. You won’t have to give up your life here to figure all this out, I promise,” the therapist put on a comforting smile; though her words did little to dispel the emotional storm raging inside Monika’s head. With one final reassuring thought, Ace ended up dispensing the exact advice that her client needed to hear most. “And, for what it’s worth, I think you can tell your other friends the truth. You four girls have been through a lot together, and there’s no reason for you to feel like you have to do this alone.”

            After everything she’s done to Natsuki, Yuri, and Sayori, the former president of the Literature Club felt uncertain if she even had the right to burden her friends with her troubles, no matter how fantastical they were. Hearing from an outsider that she could rely on those closest to her for support was all the reminder she needed that this was a foolish mindset. A beautiful emerald green almost dispelled the muddled gray in Monika’s hue.

            Without a word, the brown-haired girl left the couch, crouched next to her therapist, and wrapped the demon in a hug. Ace was surprised but didn’t hesitate to return the gesture.

            The two women held themselves like this for a little while, letting the seconds tick by without a thought. Eventually, Monika broke away; there was a smile on her face despite the dampness in her eyes.

            “…You’re going to be okay,” the hazel-eyed creature said, allowing the tranquility of their session to arrive at its natural conclusion. “You have my word.”

            Oh, if only the demon was aware of the lie she just told.

* * *

            Thought Monika’s session began somewhat frustratingly because of her unwillingness to open up, Sayori’s didn’t share that problem.

            Ace was no longer reclining on the overturned piece of luggage. Instead, she sat beside her client, softly stroking the young woman’s coral hair as she cried into the demon’s crimson business suit. It wasn’t the most professional behavior, but this was pretty run-of-the-mill for the unconventional therapist.

            One statement, that was all it took. Less than a minute after sitting down, a single sentence had reduced the sweet girl to tears.

            “I… feel useless.”

            Ace hadn’t said anything to Sayori yet; the moment her friend began to break down, she went straight into comforting mode. The demon was more than content to be a shoulder to cry on, though in the back of her mind she was already working on her response.

            The thing about being a mental health professional, which people don’t often consider, is that it requires the most careful use of words. Ace’s clients leave themselves very vulnerable around her; the wrong statement, even one meant with the best of intentions, can cause so much harm when it comes from a therapist’s mouth.

            That’s not to say the succubus saw Sayori as weak or overly sensitive, but the poor girl was already struggling in a way that none of her friends were. She’s carried a difficult burden on her back throughout her entire life, so Ace knew she had to tread carefully.

            “Feel a little better?” The violet-haired woman asked once the blue-eyed girl’s sobs petered out. Sayori sat upright, nodded her head, and wiped the trails of fluid from her visage. “I’m this has been a… challenging transition. Even so, no one is ‘useless.’ I know that depression can exacerbate feelings of self-loathing, but is there anything that might be directly causing these thoughts? I know in our last text conversation you said you were still looking for a job–”

            “It’s not that… Well, not entirely, anyways,” Sayori replied, almost with a whimper. Whenever she cried, the coral-haired girl always had this look on her face that made Ace want to destroy anything that may have even potentially contributed to her dismal mood.

            _If Monika can talk to machines, maybe Sayori makes people want to protect her,_ Ace jokingly thought to herself, before realizing that actually made a certain amount of sense. _…I wonder what powers Natsuki and Yuri would have…_

            “It… It all started in the bunker,” the young lady began. Ace almost kicked herself for not asking about that first; being traumatized by everything that took place down there was the one thing they nearly all had in common. “We were attacked by Poly… and Yuri dropped a knife she had brought. I picked it up, and I could’ve… I could’ve killed him… but I didn’t.”

            The therapist still shuddered to think about the last time she encountered Poly, years ago. She and Darwin were tracking him down when he got the drop on them, wormed his way into her mind, and…

            Well, I’m afraid I’m not permitted to share all the sordid details of what happens when a monstrous telepath meets the mind of a succubus. Needless to say, Ace didn’t sleep for a week after their encounter. So, the fact that this sweet, harmless young woman hadn’t just survived, but triumphed over the shadow monster was almost impossible to believe.

            _Still_ , the demon thought to herself, _if anyone could do it…_

“A-and, what we ended up doing to beat instead him was almost worse!” The coral-haired girl exclaimed, reminding Ace she was still on the job. “…Anyways, the only reason we survived was because of Yuri’s quick thinking. A-and I’m saying I’m unappreciative or anything! It’s just… I wasn’t strong enough to protect my friend when she needed me… Some leader I turned out to be…”

            “Sayori, sweetheart, listen to yourself for a second. You’re the president of a defunct Literature Club, and I doubt that job description ever specified having to take lives,” the blue-eyed girl blushed slightly at Ace’s statement. She knew the violet-haired women well enough to know she wasn’t trying to make fun of her, but her circumstances were a little ridiculous when she pointed them out. “Look, something that’s often underappreciated is that murdering people is a traumatic experience. Yes, ‘haha’ obviously for the person who dies, but also for the one who kills them. It’s a permanent, terrifying experience, and the effect it can have on your mental health… Well, let’s just say I’m glad you didn’t end up making my job a lot harder.”

            Sayori couldn’t help but chuckle. There was still a bit of sadness, both on her face and in her mind, yet Ace’s pep talk was already starting to rebuild her spirits. Sometimes we all required a gentle reminder that we needn’t be so hard on ourselves.

            “The truth is, whether you couldn’t kill Poly because you were scared, or thinking only of yourself, or even if you just value life… none of those are bad reasons,” the hazel-eyed woman took her client’s hand in her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “And no one’s holding your choice against you but yourself. So don’t beat yourself up over this, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

            Now the coral-haired girl’s grin was larger and more genuine. For a brief movement, the sadness was gone, replaced by a building sense of self-confidence. Uncertainty, however, sank its fingers into her thoughts, causing an unsure frown to quickly replace her smile.

            “…We’re all so young, and there’s so much we still don’t know,” the person speaking almost didn’t sound like Sayori. Her eyes were dry; there was no sadness in her words, just a certainty that she was too broken to fix. “With everything the four of us have been through… do you think we can ever truly be okay?”

            Now it was Ace’s turn to sport a sad smile. She knew that, no matter how much sense they made, her uplifting statements would have no effect if Sayori didn’t believe herself capable of recovery. Fortunately, the succubus still had one last card to play.

            “Anyone else… maybe not. But the four of you have something most people don’t, something I’ve only infrequently encountered in the centuries I’ve been alive,” now the coral-haired girl’s curiosity was piqued, exactly what the demon wanted. “You have kind hearts, too often a rarity in this world… and you have each other.”

            Like a dam bursting under the pressure of a monsoon, Sayori’s hue immediately returned to its usual sky-blue tone. There were still some darker shades in certain spots, and each day they would grow or shrink depending on her depression. Regardless, her coral-haired friend felt like herself again. For now, that was all that mattered.

            “…Hey Ace? Thanks for taking the time to talk… to help us,” Sayori said, her smile the widest it’d been all day. “It really means a lot, e-especially since you’re not charging us!”

            “Aw, don’t worry about it. I’ll just collect your mortal souls down the line,” Ace jested as the duo rose off of the couch. The younger girl chuckled nervously, only 95% certain her friend was joking. “Now, about your depression specifically, have you given any thought to medication? I know we haven’t really discussed it at any great length, but–”

            “O-oh, um… not really,” Sayori confessed sheepishly as she pressed her two index fingers together. “Things have been kinda busy lately, and it’s honestly a little… scary.”

            “Understandable; taking something to mess with a state of mind that you’ve grown accustomed to must seem pretty daunting. Still, if you ever feel like your depression is getting to be more than you can handle, just give me a ring,” Ace said as the two of them walked towards the front door. Right as the demon was about to reach for the handle, she instead leaned in and whispered into Sayori’s ear: “Legally I can’t write a prescription, since I technically don’t exist on this plane, but I will literally steal any drugs you need.”

            This time the blue-eyed girl was fairly certain Ace was being serious, but she still found herself laughing all the same. Ace joined in with a light chuckle of her own and was caught unprepared by the sudden hug the smaller girl caught her in. The therapist smiled and quickly returned the gesture.

            She and her client remained like this for a spell, even longer than the demon’s embrace with Monika. The succubus felt the grip of Sayori’s frail arms tighten; such strength despite their size. It was the kind of grasp someone had when holding onto something of great importance to them.

            Ace was joking about the soul thing earlier. This was all the payment she ever needed.

            “…Alright, I need to get going,” the demon finally said, slightly afraid the hug would last forever she didn’t end it herself. Sayori looked a little disappointed, but she was still smiling. “I look forward to our next session. Oh, and tell the others I said goodbye!”

            And, just like that, Ace vanished. The coral-haired girl took a moment to adjust to her sudden absence. It was a few deep breathes later before she opened her eyes again, and then found her right hand resting on the brass doorknob.

            For some reason, the idea of leaving this room scared her. Out there, did anything they talked about today even matter? The real world had proven unkind too many times; even if Sayori believed that her friends didn’t think she was useless, even if she didn’t believe she was worthless, would that be enough to keep them all safe? She didn’t know, and that terrified her.

            …But if she stayed inside, stayed safe, then everything Ace said today really wouldn’t matter.

            Bracing herself, Sayori turned the handle and gently opened the door.

            The sky was overcast; the afternoon sun having taken refuge behind the clouds. There was a chill in the air, and Sayori felt goosebumps appearing along her bare arms. There were no birds peacefully chirping, just the sound of passing cars creating their own unique symphony.

            Monika was reclining against the metal railing, having had the foresight to bundle up before coming outside. She grinned as her friend stepped away from the apartment; her emerald eyes complementing her beautiful smile, adding just the right pop of color to an otherwise dreary afternoon.

            It wasn’t a perfect day, which kinda made it perfect.

            “All good?” Monika asked as Sayori strolled up to join her; the latter girl nodded in confirmation. The two of them didn’t say anything for a little while, just letting the relief of no longer having to carry those burdens on their shoulders wash over them as they watched the cars pass by. “…Wanna make some hot chocolate?”

            With the chilly temperature really starting to affect her, the coral-haired girl may have nodded a little more enthusiastically than she intended. Monika chuckled at her friend’s excitement, as Sayori tried (and failed) not to blush.

            “Heh, good. This’ll give us a chance to decompress after unpacking all our emotional baggage,” the emerald-eyed girl stated as she started strolling towards the apartment door. She hesitated as her hand touched the gateway, before looking back at her smaller friend. She was still smiling, but now there was a glint of uncertainty in her eyes. “And, while we enjoy our treat… there’s something I’d like to tell you about.”

            Sayori’s heart almost skipped a beat as her visage became even more flush than before. Completely misunderstanding the situation, the president of the defunct Literature Club did her best to keep her cool as she followed her friend inside.

            The coral-haired girl paused just outside the door, breathing the cold air into her lungs one more time. Satisfied, Sayori stepped into the warm room and let the door slam behind her.

            The smaller girl ran over to the couch and bundled herself in the big wool blanket they kept draped over the side. She watched as Monika poured milk into two coffee mugs and placed them into the microwave, her hair almost flowing as she gracefully moved from one part of the kitchen to another. At least, that’s how it looked to Sayori, who wasn’t certain if she was more excited for the sweet drink or whatever news her friend wished to share with her.

            Life can be a struggle; the four members of the Literature Club know that better than most. Yet Sayori also knew, despite her misfortunes, she was incredibly lucky. Once she felt like she was tearing herself apart in order to make everyone else feel happy, now she had the kind of friends who would do anything just to see her smile. Sure, that isn’t everything, but it meant the world to her all the same.

            … _Maybe_ , Sayori thought to herself as she let out a content sigh, _we’re going to be alright after all._

            And then Sayori heard a knock at the door.

* * *

            Natsuki paced outside the doors to the library, her feet making audible stomps against the concrete walkway despite their size. Hanna had offered the pink-haired girl a seat inside, but the tsundere was too afraid her pacing would distract Yuri.

            Her girlfriend went inside for her interview what felt like an eternity ago (but was really only twenty minutes). Natsuki – ever the impatient one – was becoming more agitated by the second, to the point that she was wondering if there was a law specifically against coercing an employer on someone else’s behalf.

            The pink-haired girl never got a chance to finish pondering exactly how much jail time she was willing to risk for her paramour when Yuri burst through the double doors with a look of pure jubilation upon her visage. Natsuki didn’t even have time to ask how it went before she was scooped up into a tight embrace by her gleeful girlfriend. Which, of course, kinda answered the question.

            “I got it! I got the job!” The purple-haired girl cried out as she victoriously spun around. “I’m going to be working at a library!”

            “T-that’s great, b-babe!” Natsuki replied, while her visage became a little greener. “N-now please put me down before I t-throw up!”

            Realizing she let the situation get the better of her, Yuri ceased twirling and sheepishly let her girlfriend go. Natsuki took a second to collect herself; once recovered, she couldn’t help but snicker at how overexcited her beloved got. The purple-eyed girl, her face quickly turning crimson, tried to squeak out an apology.

            Before she had a chance, however, this time Natsuki willingly leaped into the gothic woman’s arms. She planted a kiss on her paramour’s lips; though surprised, Yuri was more than willing to reciprocate. The two kept their embrace going as they reveled in the personal victory, keeping them warm in the chilly afternoon.

            “Heh, there’ll be more where that came from when we get home tonight,” the pink-haired girl teased; here seductive tone slightly undercut by the adorability of her toothy-grin.

            “N-Natsuki, please, we’re in public,” the purple-haired girl protested as her face turned even redder; however, the way she bit her lip afterwards told Natsuki she had the go-ahead to keep kissing her. She probably would’ve too, if they hadn’t heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them.

            “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Hanna said with her usual mischievous smirk, the library door propped against her arm. Yuri, mortified by her new boss seeing her in the midst of a passionate moment, immediately let go of Natsuki and tried to act casual.

            Then she realized she just dropped her girlfriend.

            The shorter woman didn’t hit the ground particularly hard, but concrete doesn’t exactly make for soft landings. Hanna tried not to laugh as the pink-haired girl shot her taller paramour an annoyed look. Yuri nervously ran her hair through her hands as she tried to sputter out an apology, though her brain’s attempt to simultaneously create ones for her girlfriend and her employer caused neither to leave her mouth.

            Natsuki secretly smiled. Nothing was really hurt asides from her pride, and she always got a kick out of seeing Yuri flustered like this. Even if she did get unceremoniously dropped like a sack of flour, the tsundere still considered this the perfect end to a great day; complimented by the way the setting sun turned the sky such a brilliant shade of orange.

            “…What that fuck?” Natsuki whispered.

            That is, it was brilliant, before it started to turn a different color.

            Natsuki watched in absolute confoundment as large, blue hexagons began manifesting themselves in the air, each new shape connected to a previous one. Hanna and Yuri soon took notice too, as the bizarre structure spread across the evening sky. After continuing outward for what must’ve been miles, the following hexagons started to take a downward slope.

            That’s when Natsuki saw it; whatever these things were, they were forming a dome around all of Milford.

            Earlier, Natsuki had pondered how long she and her friends could stay in this town. Now, there was no way out.

* * *

 

**THEN**

            Monika was surprised by the knock at door, but she didn’t think anything of it at first. She continued her task of making the hot chocolate, removing two packets of the powdered substance from a cardboard box, as Sayori was already rising off the couch to receive their unknown guest.

            However, the emerald-eyed girl froze in place once her mind became acutely aware of whatever was behind the door. She was used to getting very mild sensations whenever she passed electronic devices – so much so that it took her forever to even notice them – but this was far stronger, as if a supercomputer was standing outside their apartment.

            “Oh! Yuri and Natsuki must be back already!” The coral-haired girl said with an excited lilt in her voice as she rushed towards the doorknob.

            Monika let the plastic pouches fall from her grasp as her arm extended outward, trying in vain to warn Sayori. Whatever this thing was, she felt no malice in its calculated binary thoughts, but it definitely meant them harm. And she was too late to stop it.

            Before a single word could escape the budding technopath’s lips, the blue-eyed girl threw open the door; her smile quickly replaced by a shocked expression. At first, both girls were terrified that the Shapeshifter had returned once they saw Darwin step into the room, yet Monika soon realized they were dealing with something entirely new.

            In the light of their apartment, she could see this thing had an even worse disguise than their previous attacker. It looked like a low-quality, life-sized action figure of the immortal; its blank expression and hollow eyes taking it into full uncanny valley territory. The brown-haired woman managed to tear her eyes away from its face, only for her heart to sink into her stomach as she saw the pistol in its hand. The same one pointed at Sayori.

            A single second lasted for what felt like hours as Monika helplessly watched the facsimile pull the trigger. The emerald-eyed girl would play this moment over in her head again and again, certain there must have been something she could do to save her friend.

            There was no explosion of sound, nor the flash of a muzzle, just a quiet burst of air as the weapon fired. The petite girl stumbled backwards, before looking down at her own torso expecting to see nothing but bloody clothing and torn flesh. Instead, she spied a small syringe-like obstruction sticking out of her stomach. The stunned Sayori tried to grasp at the projectile, but her body went completely limp before she could get her hands on it.

            Monika was so busy watching her friend hit the ground that she failed to see the fake Darwin turning his weapon on her. A sharp pain shot out of her neck as she too was hit by a dart, its tranquilizing agent quickly pumping into her bloodstream.

            The taller girl slumped against the kitchen countertop, using all her willpower to try and stay awake. Without a word, their assailant holstered his gun and strolled over to Sayori, throwing her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all.

            Monika felt herself getting weaker by the second, her body failing to respond to any command she gave it. Her vision began to blur as she watched the machine exiting their home, not even bothering to pay his other victim any heed. The last thing the young woman saw was the sky outside a nearby window turn from orange to blue.

            Then, as she finally fell away from the countertop, everything just went black.

* * *

**NOW**

            Speed Demon entered the acrylic glass containment cube of his own volition, something he wasn’t accustomed to doing. He found a seat in the center of the box, watching his “allies” as the metal door closed behind him.

            To his right, a reluctant Scorpius was being guided into his cube by several men with stun batons. He growled menacingly at his escorts but ultimately complied. A third box was being filled near to the brim with water; it wasn’t long after the engineers finished their task and sealed the box that Abysmal suddenly appeared inside. Prophet simply floated into her container before the door was even opened, much to the unease of her APART handlers.

            With all four creatures secured, it wasn’t long before they found themselves loaded into the cargo bay of a massive airplane. Speed Demon didn’t recognize the model of the vehicle, nor was he aware that it was specifically commissioned for their inhuman task force. To him, it was just a hunk of metal that he was trusting wouldn’t fall out of the sky and plummet into in the middle of the ocean.

            After what felt like an eternity, Darwin boarded the plane, a large backpack slung over his left shoulder. Alongside him was a small contingent of APART soldiers, none of whom the volcanic entity had bothered to learn the names of.

            “Where we heading?” Speed Demon asked, his voice rattling through the single slot in the metal door. “Are we hunting one of our brothers today or is this just average shady government shit, like overthrowing a democratically elected official in a foreign country?”

            The immortal’s leg bounced as he tried to think of how to respond, while almost frantically wringing his hands together. Darwin had been distracted these last few days, but this agitation was new.

            “…Milford, Connecticut,” the brown-eyed boy finally said, his voice barely audible over the roar of the plane’s engines starting up. He gave that location as if it was being forced out of him at knife-point and with all the hesitation of a guilty man.

            Abysmal’s body silently shook with laughter, presumably having telepathically gleaned whatever was troubling him. Scorpius was chuckling too, though more at just the sight of the immortal’s discomfort. Prophet was absolutely silent, her empty eyes staring right at the demonic speedster.

            “…The girls… that’s where you hid them, isn’t it? Something’s after them, I’m guessing?” Speed Demon asked. Darwin didn’t respond; his silence doing more than enough to answer the question on its own. “…Good.”

            The brown-eyed boy stopped fidgeting, the mermaid and the arachnoid ceased laughing; only the apparition seemed unphased by the entity’s comment. Flames visibly danced along Speed Demon’s frame as he stood up in his box, a cocky smile adorning his molten visage.

            “I’ve been itching for some action ever since you weaklings brought me here, and the first one just so happens to involve saving my best friend?” The immortal had never seen his former foe so driven; it was like finding an entirely different work of art underneath an old painting. “Make no mistake Darwin, if something happens to Sayori because of where you put her, then I will liquify your fucking eyes! But whatever’s after her… they have no idea the world of trouble they’re about to be in!”

            The immortal couldn’t help but smile, despite the threat against his person, as the team’s morale suddenly rose. It was obvious Darwin blamed himself for this unknown threat, after he promised the girls that they would be safe in Milford. At least now he no longer felt like he was the only one in their corner.

            Even the rest of the APART squad – at least, the human members – no longer felt the same nerves that plagued them the second they stepped foot on this plane. This was the first excursion of an untested team, and the fact that at least one of its members probably still wanted to vivisect them didn’t make it any less terrifying. However, seeing Speed Demon’s confidence and righteous fury made them think they might actually survive this experience after all.

            “…No one ever does,” just like that, a single statement from Prophet immediately brought everyone’s spirits plummeting back into the ground. “No one ever knows the troubles they’ll face… until it’s too late.”

            Everything suddenly lurched forward, causing the volcanic entity to lose his balance and fall over. The engine roared even louder as the plane prepared to ascend. Darwin and the humans quietly secured themselves in their seats, while Abysmal and Scorpius chuckled at Speed Demon’s misfortune.

            The speedster managed to sit himself upright once more, spotting Prophet at the back of the cargo bay out of the corner of his eye. She was laughing too, though she wasn’t looking at anyone in particular; just staring blankly ahead at the metal wall before her cell.

            Strangely, she seemed to be crying too.

* * *

APART Anomaly File: 9700-42-80

Name: [REDACTED]

Alias: Speed Demon

 

 **Description:** 9700-42-80 was originally a [REDACTED], as well as [REDACTED]. He was obsessed with natural and geographic phenomena, and his [REDACTED]became the editorial model for our modern encyclopedias. However, during the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1st century, he [REDACTED]. Days later, once the molten magma finally cooled, the subject burst forth from his ashen cocoon forever changed.

            Other than his basic anatomical structure, the creature that emerged that day lacked many of his original human features. Skin and flesh were replaced with a hardened, mineral-rich exterior, while molten lava now played the role of blood and other vital body fluids. Fingers and toes had tapered off to a fine point, forming razor-sharp claws. His face became far more simplified in appearance, limiting expressive capabilities, while his teeth had transformed into pointed fangs. A large pair of horns spiral outward from his forehead, while the top of his cranium is as hairless as the rest of his new form. X-ray imaging reveals the subject still has a skeleton, though it appears to be made of an obsidian-like substance.

            Upon discovering his demonic appearance and newfound superhuman speed, the “speed demon” became a local legend as he wandered across Italy, unaware of the damage he was causing to the world around him because of his accelerated perception. The exact amount of “time” he spent like this is unknown, though living what must have felt like centuries as a monster in an almost frozen world likely contributed to his eventual mental breakdown. It wasn’t until Darwin (see **File: 4991-92-01** ) and his allies (see **Files: 6969-69-69, 3223-52-40, & 0000-00-01**) utilized a chalcanthite-based trap that he was finally contained. Speed Demon remained imprisoned in the immortal’s bunker until he was freed by the efforts of Elli Thora (see **File: 2781-87-32** ), Poly (see **File: 0006-87-81** ), and [REDACTED]. ~~His whereabouts are currently unknown, and he remains a high priority for re-containment.~~ **Update (01/10/2019):** See **Addendum (01/10/2019)** for further information.

**Powers & Abilities: **Speed Demon possesses three paranormal powers; one active and two passives. The former refers to the fact that he can run at speeds unnaturally faster than any other entity on Earth. As his body lacks many of the ordinary biological processes for a human being, he’s able to endure the effects of acceleration, friction, g-force, and inertia without any detrimental impact on his health. His top speed is unknown, but it’s confirmed greater than five times the speed of sound. Speed Demon, however, cannot run indefinitely and will require a ten-hour respite after the equivalent of a month of constant movement.

            The first passive ability is a necessary supporting power for moving as quickly as he can. Speed Demon’s mind processes information at such an accelerated rate that – from his perspective – time appears to be slowed down. This allows him to perceive his environment while running, which would otherwise leave his surroundings a blurry mess. However, the fact that this ability has been constantly active since his transformation has severely altered his state of mind (see **Psychological Profile** for further information).

            Finally, Speed Demon’s physiology has been heavily changed as a result of his demise during the Vesuvius eruption. Somehow, his body has become hardened stone, while his blood is a lava-like substance. Not only does this make him considerably durable, but his form is also extremely hot; though his body seems to contain most of the heat, the temperature around him can potentially rise an upwards of forty to eighty degrees at any given time. Additionally, his frame generates flames based upon his mood, while he also leaves behind trails of fire whenever he runs. Also of note, he can consume food but doesn’t need to do so for nourishment purposes (and he actively refuses to drink unless it’s potentially flammable).

            Unsurprisingly, Speed Demon becomes dormant if entirely submerged in water, though he will regain consciousness shortly after returning to a dry environment. For unknown reasons, his body chemistry also reacts violently when exposed to chalcanthite. Much of his biology defies understanding and many scientific principles; for current theories on his chalcanthite weakness, why he leaves behind fire trails, how he’s functional and animated despite behind made of stone, and why the Vesuvius eruption created a superhuman being, please see _A Study of Elementals_ by Dr. [REDACTED] ( _I’ll save you all a lengthy read: his blood isn’t actually lava and copper disrupts its ability to sustain him, flammable feet excretions, semi-organic body tissues, and – since something like this always occurs after a mass-death event – ectoplasmic-based genetic transmutation. The guy’s a terrible writer, but his theories on this topic are surprisingly sound. – Dr. [REDACTED]_ ).

**Psychological Profile:** As the subject doesn’t recall most of his pre-transformation past, it will not be factored this reading of his personality. Due to his accelerated perception forcing him to experience time far slower than the rest of us, Speed Demon is in a near-constant state of irritation and frustration when dealing with human beings. He often behaves in a generally abrasive and callous manner, which might be a subconscious effort on his part to push others away. Additionally, he’s quick to respond to any perceived slight against him with pure rage and can’t stand remaining still for long periods of time. Despite this, he’s not the most aggressive supernatural entity ever encountered, and he doesn’t seem to enjoy causing harm simply for the sake of it. He does, however, harbor a particularly strong grudge against Darwin for imprisoning him for almost two thousand years.

            This difference in perception also causes intense feelings of isolation and loneliness, which might be why he clings so strongly to the one human he’s actually become close with, **Subject 7102-22-91**. Additionally, sensory deprivation caused by his inhuman biology has likely also contributed to his sense of alienation with the rest of the world. When queried about these aspects of his personality during a routine psyche evaluation, he vehemently denied their accuracy.

**Addendum (01/10/2019):** Speed Demon has willingly agreed to take part in the “Renegades” project as an active field agent. However, he’s still to be treated as a potential threat rather than an official member of APART, with possible future allowances only granted based upon his cooperation. He’s to remain in a containment cell when not deployed.

            Any and all suspicious/hostile behavior on his part is to be immediately reported to Commander Bernadette Ortiz or Field Commander Darwin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it's probably obvious by how delayed this chapter's release was, but I've been fairly busy lately, and that doesn't look to be changing anytime soon. So with a sincerely heavy heart, I'm afraid I have to announce that I'm putting this series on hiatus for the foreseeable future.
> 
> There were a lot of factors behind this decision. The main one is that my current living/work situation is in somewhat dire straits, and I couldn't focus on that while also trying to get a page of this done each day. Another is that I can feel the quality of my work dipping; specifically that I'm having an easier time writing about new characters than those belonging to the series itself, which isn't the point of fanfiction. Plus, I want to focus more on my original creative projects (which I'm planning to upload here [https://www.wattpad.com/user/Wguy29] in the future if anyone's interested) and I know I won't have time for those and Stranger Than Fiction. Something had to give, and I'm afraid this was the only option.
> 
> I would love to return to this series at some point, which is why I'm leaving it up as is. However, right now I need to get my professional life in order before I can take this any further. I hate the idea of leaving a project like this unfinished, but it's taking up more time than I can afford to give. I'm truly sorry to leave anyone who was enjoying these stories in the lurch, and I'm eternally grateful that Stranger Than Fiction received as much attention as it did. This was a tremendous learning experience for me, and I hope my readers got something out of it too.


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